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THE STRUGGLE 
FOR A ROYAL CHILD 



The Struggle 
for a Royal Child 

Anna Monica Fia, Duchess of Saxony 

My Experiences as Governess in the House of 
the Countess Montignoso during 1906 



BY 

IDA KREMER 




MITCHELL KENNERLEY 
NEW YORK 



Copyright, 1907, by 
MITCHELL KENNERLEY 



->'^^;. 

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tuBSAaTofCONSBESS; 
Two Copies Receivotf 

jAN 16 1908 

ttLASS ^ XXc/Nu, 




•sfU &)t^VU>:-6i^ 






THE STRUGGLE FOR A 
ROYAL CHILD 



CHAPTER I 

Dresden, 
End of October, 1906. 

A TEACHER of Princes! I used to think of 
it as something quite different. And now 
I myself am going to be a teacher of Prin- 
cesses! But the halo disappears on closer 
inspection — even as regards my contract. 
It is lying before me. Fifty marks a 
month. One ponders deeply before one 
signs one's name to a document like that, 
especially when one will have to descend 
into the lions' den to rob the lioness of her 
young, for the money! Moreover, it's an 
engagement on trial, and at present only 
for one month. The grand effort will have 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

to be made within the time of probation. 
If I succeed within those thirty days in 
proving myself worth my salt by my 
achievements in Florence — in other words, 
by bringing the little Princess to the Court 
in Dresden — who is to say that the head- 
governess there will rate my further ser- 
vices at the same high figure as the Cham- 
berlain's Office does, for the special job ? 
And if I don't succeed, will Othello's oc- 
cupation be gone or not ? Anyhow, it's an 
experiment. 

Two years have gone by since the no- 
torious Muth-affair, out of which the comic 
papers made such endless copy. The re- 
sult of Fraulein Mutli's inefficiency was, as 
all the world knows, that Anna Monica 
Pia, Duchess of Saxony, was left with her 
mother. The Countess Louise of Mon- 
tignoso. Princess of Tuscany (and as such. 
Her Imperial Highness), actually succeeded 
in being allowed to keep her "Monili" 

two years longer than had been arranged. 
10 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

But now a fresh crisis is approaching — one 
of the conditions on which the Countess 
was to be allowed to see her two elder sons 
in Munich being, that on December 1, 
1906, the Princess Pia Monica should be 
finally handed over to the Royal Court in 
Dresden for her future education. 

But the Countess Montignoso knew how 
to make her conditions, too, and so she 
demanded that the future governess (who 
was to be selected by the King) should, 
immediately before the handing over of 
the Princess, undertake her education in 
Florence for one month in order that the 
Countess might have some personal knowl- 
edge of her child's teacher; and also in 
order that the Princess might grow accus- 
tomed to this new instructress, so that the 
transfer from the mother's hands to strange 
ones (for, after all, the Royal father is a 
total stranger to the poor little Princess) 
might not be quite so distressing to her. 

The demand seems perfectly reasonable, 
11 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

perfectly sensible, yet maternal cunning has 
a great deal to say in it! At any rate, the 
Court agreed, and thereby put into the 
Countess's hands a fresh weapon where- 
with to lengthen out the struggle for the 
Royal child. And now Destiny has sum- 
moned me to assist in this new phase of 
the conjflict. In the circumstances, it would 
be somewhat questionably to my advan- 
tage that it should be the last! I shall 
have, indeed, to fight through this phase 
almost as a duellist. However, one reso- 
lution I shall make, if I decide to go: my 
weapons shall be love, my shield the con- 
scientious fulfilment of my duty; and those 
are the best arms against malice, cunning, 
and intrigue, for all of which I must be 
prepared. 

Despite these fine resolutions, the task — 
regarded from a purely "human" point of 
view — appears to me a desperately difficult 
one. I am a woman, too, and a mother 

into the bargain, and I feel and think like 
12 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

a woman and a mother. I can understand 
how terribly grievous it must be to a mother, 
not only to endure the separation from all 
her children, but now to have to let her 
nestling go. The worst of sinners remains 
no less the mother of her children. That 
is why I shall need some such firm moral 
support as a deep sense of duty, if I am to 
prevail against the mere human tempta- 
tions which assuredly await me. It's not a 
pretty task — to go forth to take a mother's 
baby from her! But I must school myself 
to realize that so it must be — must be, per- 
chance, for the child's own sake — and that 
I shall be nothing more than the tool of 
that necessity. If it were not I, it would 
be someone else — possibly a second Muth 
woman, who knows not forbearance. . . . 
Better it should be I than another like that. 
Perhaps I shall succeed — if I do succeed 
in the business — in persuading the mother 
herself that it is best for her dear little one 

to enter the sphere to which she is born 
13 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

before she grows any older; perhaps I shall 
succeed in consoling that mother for her 
loss by teaching her the joy of abnegation 
for her daughter's good. When it is not 
necessary to wound or to hurt, it should 
never be done. But my best asset is to be 
my love for the child, whom from hence- 
forth I think I have a right to shelter with 
all the sympathy I feel. The child is 
the treasure for whom all I do shall be 
done. 

Most assuredly it is not the fifty marks a 
month which attracts me, nor the hope of 
a position at Court — much coveted, despite 
its many drawbacks. Rather it is the hope 
of being able to accomplish a labour of 
love, to rescue a little, tender soul from a 
set of conditions which will but become 
more intolerable with time, and to surround 
it then with all the innocent joys of a happy 
childhood. But I mustn't make myself 
out better than I am. My sentiments are 

all right, but they don't overflow; some- 
14 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

times, indeed, they seem to me rather far- 
fetched, although I am quite sincere about 
them. The Httle weight that turns the 
scale is doubtless something quite differ- 
ent! I shall come to know, in her intimate, 
everyday life, the much-loved, much-abused 
Louise of the Saxon Court! I shall have 
an opportunity of finding out for myself 
how it is possible that thousands of Saxon 
hearts should still cherish an extravagant 
devotion for this woman — veritable prob- 
lem as it is of the psychology of a people, 
of the hysteria of the mob. I shall get to 
know something of a character which is a 
problem, too — assuredly not to be judged 
by any moral pattern : neither that of Court 
etiquette, nor that of the self-respecting 
lady, nor yet that of the hypnotized so- 
called "sympathetic" people. Thus there 
is simply no actual question of "judging" 
at all, but only of trying to understand — in 
the beginning, at any rate. Tout com- 

pi'endre, c'est tout Well, whether even 

15 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

so, one will be able to excuse everything, I 
don't yet know! 

Latest Intelligence. — The Countess, dur- 
ing the Munich meeting, declared herself 
satisfied with the testimonials which were 
then laid before her, and is ready to en- 
gage me, and I — sign my contract! 



Odoher 30. 

Here are my instructions: I am to start 
at once for Florence, there to acquaint 
myself with all details of the system adopted 
for Princess Monica Pia up to the present, 
and I am to try as well as I can to make 
the child accustomed to me. The Coun- 
tess has promised to decide finally in the 
course of a month whether she will entrust 
her permanently to me. It follows nat- 
urally, then, that I must try to gain the 
confidence of the Countess Montignoso — 
the most diflScult task of all. When the 
16 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

time of probation is over and the Princess 
has been given up, I am to betake myself 
with her wherever His Majesty the King 
Friedrich August of Saxony may command 
— temporarily to the Castle of Bartenstein, 
near Crailsheim, to the Countess's brother- 
in-law, the Prince of Hohenlohe, then to 
another princely house, and finally to Dres- 
den, when Pia Monica will be educated 
together with her brothers and sisters. On 
November 1, I enter upon my duties in 
Florence. My arrival will be announced 
to the Countess by wire. My train starts 
from the Dresden terminus to-day at eleven 
o'clock; I have a through ticket to Flor-^^ 
ence in my purse. When I was getting it 
yesterday the ojQBcial said straight out that 
he supposed I was the new governess for 
*' Monica." The Dresdener Rundschau had 
not failed to announce the fact of my 
engagement to its readers! The official 
abounded in exaggerated affirmations of 

the innocence of the poor victimized Coun- 
2 17 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

tess, and entrusted me with "a million 
greetings for Louise from the whole land 
of Saxony," besides the few millions of 
letters and post-cards I already had from 
"Louisa-maniacs." I was already sitting 
in the train before it occurred to me that 
at the Chancery Office they had never 
given me the latest address of the Countess 
in Florence. I found out afterwards that 
they didn't know it themselves, but were 
still using the old address — "Via Benedetto 
da Faiano" — although since the beginning 
of October the Countess has been living on 
Bellosguardo, in the hill-side villa of Mon- 
tauto. Evidently the system of espionage 
with which the Dresden Court is supposed 
to surround the poor Countess isn't very 
efficient. 



October 31. 

A day on the road, and that is not ex- 
actly pure joy for anyone who is not accus- 

18 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

tomed to travelling! I intend to do the 
thirty-hour journey without stopping. My 
arrival was announced to the Countess for 
4.48 in the afternoon of October 31. How 
will she receive me? Will she see in me 
only the emissary of her detested Dresden 
Court, and let me feel it.'* What will the 
first meeting be like.^ I've had lots of 
time to picture it all to myself. 

I shall arrive. Nobody at the station. 
So I shall have to go to the German Con- 
sulate to ask for the address; so I shall be 
late. Uppish servants will show me my 
room. Then I shall be left alone there, to 
accustom myself to my new surroundings. 
They will send my meal up to my room 
(perhaps they will isolate me there as much 
as possible). Perhaps they will then show 
me, as a matter of form, how Pia Monica 
is washed and dressed. Perhaps they will 
ask me if I can do it properly, and giggle 
and laugh at me if I make a mistake. . . . 

But, above all, the first meeting with the 
19 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Countess! A lackey will appear, announc- 
ing that Frau Grajfin requests that I should 
be conducted to her room. She will re- 
ceive Hie coolly, perhaps with some of her 
renowned realistic expressions. They shall 
not break down my dignity, as I shall 
prove by a faultless Court curtsey, show- 
ing that I set a value upon forms ; and then 
I shall make a speech, beginning with 
"Most gracious Countess," in which I shall 
say how extraordinarily difhcult my task 
appears to me; and how hard it must be 
for the Countess to feel any confidence in 
me, however good my intentions are; and 
how resolute I am in my peculiar position, 
of whose difficulty I am fully conscious, to 
carry out my duties on one side towards 
the Court, and on the other to attend to 
all the most natural demands of the Coun- 
tess; and so on. . . . 

The enthusiasm with which I rehearse 
my speech gives me a palpitation of the 

heart, and just before reaching Munich I 
20 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

hastily practise my Court curtsey in the 
empty ladies' carriage, whose narrow pro- 
portions are somewhat injurious to its per- 
fect execution. Yes, even at night, when 
the train is slowly creeping up the Brenner 
behind Innsbruck, my nervousness pur- 
sues me, and though I am half asleep, I still 
keep on polishing-up my speech, until just 
as we pass the French frontier two ladies 
get into my carriage, who cannot sleep any 
more than I can, and with whom I soon 
find myself carrying on a conversation in 
French. At Ala I leave the Dresden train 
for the first time; with a dreary sort of 
sensation, I get into an Italian second-class 
carriage. I am agreeably disappointed; 
it is quite tolerably clean. Verona! The 
train is travelling through the Lombardy 
Plains. There are broad orchards, where 
the vines climb from tree to tree, the green 
leaves of which are already noticeably 
tinted with the red and gold of autumn. 

Modena! The old University town of 

21 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Bologna! The Apennines! Tunnel after 
tunnel! Splendid picturesque valleys flash 
by, to be instantly swallowed up by the next 
tunnel. The landscape grows gradually 
wooded; and now the clear sun breaks 
through the grey vault of clouds. I am 
getting infected by the Italian restlessness. 
I have a crick in my neck. I keep jump- 
ing up and counting my parcels, then sit- 
ting down again, and jumping up again, 
to take the parcels on my lap. . . . And 
out of sheer nervousness I murmur once 
more: ''Most gracious Countess" . . . my 
speech . . . and then stretch up again for 
my parcels. ... A stop. "Firenze!" 



23 



CHAPTER II 

In the midst of the deafening noise at the 
Florence terminus, in the midst of the push- 
ing and crushing and hurrying to and fro, 
people must have clearly seen that I was a 
poor stranded German lady, if only by my 
way of looking about me — for I am very 
short-sighted. Therefore, I was not much 
surprised — although very agreeably so — to 
hear myself called to loudly as '*Frau 
Kramer." My name happens to be Kre- 
mer, but that's a detail. I went up to the 
lady who called me — a slender person, with 
round, rosy cheeks. It happened that on 
my journey I had read a newspaper report 
of the meeting at Munich, and it said there 
that the Countess had been accompanied 
by a nursery-governess named Haubold. 
Aha! then this was evidently Fraulein 

Haubold, the only person in the entourage 
23 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

of the Countess Montignoso of whom I 
knew anything whatever, and all I knew of 
her was that she was probably here now! 
So I said: "Fraulein Haubold?" 

"Oh! na-in,'^ was the answ^er in Swiss- 
German; "she iss with the Princess. I am 
the lady's maid of Her Impeerial Highness." 

Oh! then she calls herself "Imperial 
Highness"! Nothing here of her brother 
Wolfling's fancy for the dropping of titles; 
she doesn't even seem satisfied with Coun- 
tess : she likes better to be Princess of Tus- 
cany — Her Imperial Highness! 

"Laa-ge-ler!" cried the lady's maid (as 
in Austria and Switzerland waiting-women 
are called, though they are mostly ladies). 
"You don't mind Lagler coming with us in 
the carriage.^ He is Her Imperial High- 
ness's chauffeur, and is coming from the 
hospital in Bologna." 

Lagler is Swiss, too — a long, meagre, 

haggard, sickly-looking creature, who holds 

himself very badly. The Countess Mon- 
24 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

tignoso wished originally to go in her auto- 
mobile to Munich for the meeting with her 
sons, but she only got as far as Bologna. 
There something happened to the automo- 
bile, and at the same time the chauffeur 
got eczema, so that both had to be taken to 
their respective infirmaries, and the Coun- 
tess had to go on by train with the little 
Princess and the nursery governess. 

I allowed myself and my belongings to 
be taken whither my guide directed. In 
the end, we all found ourselves together in 
the fiacre, after having run the gauntlet of 
the long line of hotel-omnibuses and other 
vehicles, not a single driver of which omitted 
to invite us, with waving hat, seductive 
smile, and gleaming eye, to be seated there- 
in. But Tonnino was waiting for us — 
Tonnino, one of the two "Cabbies of the 
Body-Guard," so to speak, of the Countess. 
His stand is at the Porta Romana. He 
had opened his vast umbrella, which is 

fastened to the driving-seat, and shelters 
25 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

him from sun and rain alike — ^for the blue 
sky had disappeared again, and rain was 
threatening. 

Soon began the ascent to Bellosguardo, 
the highest-lying part of Florence; the 
highest-lying villa in which, belonging to 
the Countess Montauto, now houses the 
Countess Montignoso. It was almost dark 
when good Tonnino, who ever since the 
ascent began had been going through des- 
perate exertions, pulled up at the gate of the 
villa, the high tower of which is the only part 
visible from the outside. The gate was 
opened; the carriage rolled in between tall 
bushes, and stopped before the open hall-door. 

I entered. The hall was only dimly lit 
by a shaded lamp. All I could see in a hasty 
survey was that a crimson-carpeted stair- 
case on the right leads to the upper sto- 
reys. There wasn't a servant to be seen. 
I stepped back irresolutely to look after 
my luggage. . . . Just then a slender, 

white-robed apparition came down the 

26 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

stairs, leading a little girl by the hand. I 
felt quite sure of myself this time — it must be 
Fraulein Haubold and the little Princess! I 
went up to them and said, very politely: 
"Fraulein Haubold?'' 

"Oh, please — no!" the apparition 
laughed. "I'm Her Imperial Highness 
herself! How are you? Did you have a 
comfortable journey, Frau Kramer? And 
see: I've brought Monili too! Go, Monili; 
give Frau Kramer your handle, and be 
sweet and good!" 

I was thunderstruck. For this I was 
not prepared! I tried to excuse myself. 
A gay laugh disposed of all that, and then 
I bent down to Little Goldilocks. The 
small, dainty thing snuggled up to her 
mother as if frightened, and looked at me 
nervously out of the corners of her eyes. 
Of course, for the poor child I was some- 
thing like the dustman who throws dust in 
the children's eyes, and takes them away 

in his bag! 

27 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

"Wait a little," I thought; *' we'll soon 
be good friends." 

The Countess rumpled the little Prin- 
cess's curly hair, and then caught hold of 
my cloak as if to help me to take it off. 
I tried to make a protest. . . . What 
about that Court curtsey.'^ There wasn't 
much chance for it! 

In the meantime the real Fraulein Hau- 
bold appeared — a Saxon girl from Bautzen. 
She greeted me with a curt nod, caught the 
little Princess by the hand, and said shrilly, 
and somewhat sharply: "Come with me." 

The little thing eagerly followed the girl, 
the most striking feature of whose face was 
two deep lines, which went from the nos- 
trils, past the corners of the mouth, almost 
down to the end of the chin. 

In the meantime the Countess, with her 
indescribable charm, was rendering the 
difficult situation quite easy for me, and I 
was intensely grateful to her for making a 

joke out of our accidental meeting. She 

28 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

apologized for not being able to offer me a 
warm bath, but there was very little water 
up here, she said. The house, indeed, 
lacked many of the comforts which we 
prize so much at home. It was a thoroughly 
bad specimen of an Italian villa, but I must 
try to make myself as comfortable as the cir- 
cumstances permitted. Her things would 
shortly be coming from Salzburg, and then 
we should be much more homelike. . . . 
But now she would show me my room, 
and then send me down some hot water and 
a cup of tea, and I was to take a good rest, 
and at half -past seven dinner would be ready. 
With "Adieu, Frau Kramer, and have a 
nice rest" — ^lo! she was gone. 

Truly, there is not much opportunity for 
curtseys with her! If I had come hither in 
a defiant and spiteful spirit, as the trusted 
emissary of the Royal Court, this kindness 
would have disarmed me from the first 
moment. I well understand now how such 

a woman can entrap you into loving her, 
29 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

and therefore I must be doubly on my guard, 
so that she may not make me unfaithful to 
my trust, and win me over to her side. 
That would be a new way for her to snap 
her fingers in the face of the Court! 

Towards eight o'clock appeared the pretty 
housemaid, Gioconda, dressed in white 
from head to foot, and requested me to 
come up to dinner. It was served to me 
alone in the huge dining-room, which hasn't 
a single curtain or hanging in it, and looks 
terribly bare. 

During the meal I heard continually 
childish movements in the next room. 
When I had almost finished, there came the 
rustling of the Countess's silk linings be- 
hind me. I sprang up, and begged per- 
mission to see |ny future charge in bed. 
The Countess led me to her little white cot. 
She stood at one side, and I went to the other. 
Monili was not yet asleep. She was much 
more friendly than before, and gave me her 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

little hand, gazing from me to her mother 
with her wonderful dark hazel eyes. We 
talked for a long time across the child's cot, 
until at last it was time for Monili to go to 
sleep. First, she had to say a short prayer: 
"Ich bin klein; mein Herzl ist rein. Soil 
niemand drin wohnen, als Jesukindl allein!" 
("I am little; my heart is pure. No one 
shall dwell in it but the dear child Jesus. 
Dear God, keep dear papa, dear mamma, 
brothers and sisters, and me. Dear, sweet 
Guardian Angel, guard me!") 

What a strange situation! I could hardly 
restrain my tears. I was here to take this 
guileless baby from her mother. Should I 
succeed in winning the little heart, and being 
a new friend to it in the new life.'' . . . 
The mother will oppose me there, and fight 
me in the sweetest and most^ innocent way 
in the world! Is not the task entirely be- 
yond me ? Are they genuine — ^the mother's 
sweetness and gaiety .? Isn't she thinking 

quite differently in her heart all the time.? 
31 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Can I possibly seem to her anything except 
the evil spirit which is to come between her- 
self and her child? Oh, it's hideous to 
think of! But perhaps it's only that the 
Countess is sure of victory, and thinks she 
will be able to dispose of me as easily as of 
the others, so that her sweetness and gaiety 
are probably quite genuine. She is simply 
playing with me, as a cat does with a mouse ; 
and that's not a very pleasant thought, 
either! "You can fret me, but you shall 
not play upon me," as Hamlet says. Now 
Hamlet was, as all the world knows, no 
diplomatist; otherwise he would not have 
been "fretted," or at least he wouldn't 
have said so. . . . With the comforting 
thought in my heart that I should manage 
better than Hamlet, I obeyed the instruc- 
tions of Her Imperial Highness (for, of 
course, in her own house she must hence- 
forth be that to me), who closed the first 
evening's conversation with the words: 

"Well, Frau Kramer — ^Frau Kremer — 
32 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

you'll be able to have a decent sleep at 
last." 

November 1. 

It was half -past eight before I was awak- 
ened by Fraulein Haubold. 

"Her Imperial Highness wishes to know 
if you have had a good night's rest ? Didn't 
you hear the carriage this morning? She 
is gone to early Mass. Ahl" added Frau- 
lein, with a pious, upward glance, "she 
goes to Mass every morning!" 

I should never have suspected the Prin- 
cess of being so religious. But now I re- 
member — of course, to-day is All Saints'. 
So I felt obliged to answer: "Well, I hope 
the good God won't be angry with me if I 
don't go to Mass to-day. I'm not quite 
rested yet." 

Haubold looked at me distrustfully 

and disappeared. I went up to breakfast, 

and found my little charge there. She is 

truly a lovely creature, this sweet wee Anna 
3 33 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Monica Pia of mine. She seems to me even 
prettier than the innumerable photographs 
of her, which for the most part are some- 
what affected-looking, artificial in pose and 
expression. The great beauty of the little 
face is the eyes. They are of the most 
wonderful size and depth of dark colour, 
their shape is exquisite, and they are ex- 
pressive beyond anything that I could have 
dreamed of in so young a child. They are 
like Mignon's eyes — those mysterious star- 
like orbs, with their deep dark iris, and the 
gleams of greenish light. Her curly hair is 
bright gold. Her skin is flower-like. The 
little body is elf -like in its dainty grace; yet 
already, for all its sans gene and its light- 
ness, there is a certain air of pride about the 
child, as if she knew how important she 
is and how much depends upon her. It 
doesn't take one long to recognize the 
Royalty in her! Possibly, also, the slightly 
obstinate and defiant look about the rosy 

baby mouth enhances this impression. The 

34 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

colouring is of Southern warmth. Even 
her body is quite dark — not at all the clear 
pink-and-white of German children. . . . 

Little Monica and I will soon be great 
friends. She showed me her doll's carriage 
and her dolls — simple, almost common cel- 
luloid ones (presents from the Grand- 
Ducal grandmamma) — her picture-books, 
her bricks, and all her toys. 

Monica speaks good German, but with a 
slight Austrian accent, like her mother. 
She has learnt Italian, too, almost entirely 
from the servants, but very well; and she 
mixes up her German with scraps of Italian 
in the funniest, most engaging way. 

At lunch-time the Princess cr.me in from 
Mass and visiting, and sat down to the meal 
at once. She lunches with Monica, who 
knows how to manage her knife and fork 
quite prettily, assisted by Haubold, who 
stands behind her little chair, cuts up her 
meat, fastens her napkin, and so on. After- 
wards I am served, and then the rest dine 
35 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

in the servants' hall on the ground-floor. 
Besides Gioconda, Villa Montauto shelters 
two other women-servants: Severina, the 
"tweeny," a daughter of the country, like 
Gioconda, but certainly a somewhat coarser 
specimen; she is especially for the rough 
work, and seems fitted for it by her hoarse, 
croaking voice, which, after all, is not very 
surprising in such a tall robust person. 
The principal personage is undoubtedly 
Frau Rosina, a very pretty young widow. 
The Princess declares that her face is the 
pure Roman type; but Rosina comes from 
Lombardy. She is the cook, and rules her 
kingdom, as far as I can see, most excellently, 
with, as the Countess amusingly relates, a 
full sense of her responsible position. At 
eight o'clock in the morning she appears in 
the kitchen and drinks her coffee, which 
Gioconda must have quite ready for her; 
then she makes her toilet and goes off, spick- 
and-span, to town to make her purchases. 

Towards eleven o'clock she comes back. 
36 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

A boy, whom she engages on the way, 
always carries her parcels to the kitchen. 
For no consideration whatever would she 
dream of carrying even the smallest parcel 
herself. Then Rosina cooks, and after her 
meal rests for an hour, then spends the rest 
of the afternoon out-of-doors, while the 
maids wash her dishes and peel the pota- 
toes. Towards six o'clock she appears 
again, cooks the dinner, sweeps in to the 
Countess between eight and nine, gives in 
the accounts, and lays the menu for the next 
day before her. And so ends her day's 
work. 

The hours between two and five are, at 
Villa Montauto, usually consecrated to re- 
pose. At two o'clock little Monica is put 
to bed, her room is darkened, and, to make 
her go to sleep quicker, Fraulein Haubold 
(or "Hede," as the child calls her) must 
lie down on her bed and go to sleep too! 
At five o'clock Monica is awakened, and 

then she and I have tea together — at least, 

37 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

she drinks three cups of milk with a Uttle 
tea added. She loves to have a "tiny wee 
lump of sugar" in it, too. By the time 
we have finished our meal it is dark, and we 
go into the nursery to play. . . . Monica 
was quite friendly, once the ice was broken 
— she soon began to tease me : 

"Do you know, Frau Kremer, who you 
are.? You are — Moni's governess!" and 
then she made a face, as if she had said 
something naughty, such as the "Black 
Man," or the very reprehensible "God 
bless us!" But to show me that she 
didn't believe too much in the "governess" 
part of it, she ran up to me with outstretched 
arms and gave me a hearty kiss, upon which 
I swung her round and round, until her 
little legs were flying. 



38 



CHAPTER III 

November 2. 

All Souls' Day! I was up early enough 
to-day, but I couldn't make up my mind to 
go to Mass; it seems to me much more 
important to make myself thoroughly ac- 
quainted with my new duties. As I want 
to learn all about the personal care of the 
little Princess, I presented myself in her 
bedroom at half-past seven, when she has 
her bath. The business of the morning 
bath is a very troublesome one, on account 
of the extremely primitive water arrange- 
ments; the housemaid, Severina, has to get 
up shortly before four to light the fire in the 
bath-stove, for it takes quite four hours to 
heat the water in the boiler to the requisite 
temperature. It seems that Monica has a 

veritable passion for taking baths and wash- 
39 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ing herself generally. They tell me that 
she knows no greater joy than splashing 
about in lots of water. She doesn't care 
whether it's hot or cold; so long as it's 
water she's satisfied. Her bath is a most 
meticulous affair. Her whole body is not 
only sponged and rubbed, but actually 
brushed I Then comes the cold douche — 
first on the face, then over the whole body; 
and it astonishes one freshly every time to 
see the evident delight with which the little 
creature lets the cold stream flow all over 
her, even though her arms get quite blue 
with the chill. When the bath is over, the 
teeth are carefully brushed, and the rebel- 
lious curls are combed and smoothed. 
Then we go to the dining-room for morning- 
coffee. Every morning there is good, strong 
coffee, buttered toast, and honey, and milk 
for the child. 

As I was going to Monica this morning 

the Princess met me, already dressed for 
40 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

driving. Haubold was once more inspired 
to ejaculate in her broad Saxon: "She's 
off to early Mass again!" 

I answered that I had made up my mind 
not to go this morning either. 

*' Then you're not so religious as all that.?" 
was the comment. 

*' If I go to Mass on Sundays I think it's 
enough," replied I. "But I am surprised 
to find the Princess so devout." 

"She isn't a bit devout, really. She's 
not going to Mass at all ! First she goes to 
the fencing saloon, and then to the Baths, 
every morning!" 

The Princess came in to lunch again just 

the same as yesterday. She was quite as 

studiously sweet to me as before, and gave 

me a splendid opportunity of studying her. 

I had heard so many contradictory things 

about the lady, and seen so many pictures 

of her, that I was most deeply interested in 

this chance of making acquaintance with 
41 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

her so closely and intimately. Naturally 
I haven't got very far as yet. I had been 
astonished already in her mere outward 
appearance, especially on that first evening, 
for she seemed to me so much younger and 
slenderer-looking than I could have guessed 
from the photographs. Although she barely 
reaches middle height, and shares with 
Odysseus the peculiarity of looking tall 
when she's sitting, and short when she's 
standing, these defects are largely redeemed 
by her fine figure and graceful bearing. 
Her walk spoils the effect a little, though. 
It is not guite gainly; but her other 
movements are quick and energetic, not to 
say jerky. Her complexion is fresh, but 
marred by a troublesome flush, which is 
particularly noticeable across the nose and 
the upper part of the cheeks. 

Like Monica, the Princess has a veritable 
mania for water — cold or hot. No day 
goes by without the morning-bath, and 

many another "all-over" wash besides. 

42 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Of course her complexion suffers. Her 
features are haughty, even noble. Energy 
and strong will are stamped upon her face, 
despite its kindliness. But one longs to be 
able to hide the mouth; it again spoils the 
effect. How shall I describe it.^ "Tem- 
peramental" is hardly strong enough! And 
yet it indicates my meaning. That mouth is 
characteristic of the woman — it betrays a 
lot! Her teeth are dazzlingly white, and 
she is fond of displaying them. I have 
rarely seen such perfect teeth — like delicate, 
bluish-white porcelain. Her eyes are blue — 
a little veiled — as though, while she says 
one thing, she is already pondering the next. 
Her hair is brown, and fashionably, but not 
exaggeratedly, dressed. She declares it is 
naturally wavy, even curly; but Nature is 
apparently a little neglectful sometimes, and 
has to be recalled to a sense of duty by the 
hairdresser's tongs. My impression of her 
that first evening, when she came down- 
stairs in her high-cut, white silk blouse, and 
43 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

black-and-white checked skirt, was, after 
all, a lamp-light one! The cold light of 
day takes much from the effect, especially 
as regards the face, which has too much 
colour. The lines under the eyes show 
too, the features look less refined, and the 
lower part of the chin is over-developed. 
This is particularly noticeable when the 
Princess appears in a low dress. Her 
preference for very decollete dresses extends 
even to her tea-gowns, for which she chooses, 
almost exclusively, white materials — cloth 
or silk. They are made either kimono- 
fashion, or in a sort of compromise between 
the Classic style and the Empire. Though 
she has a well-developed, even a superb, 
bust, she does not look well in this undraped 
condition — in fact, it does not suit her, 
mainly because the texture and colour of 
her neck have been injured by her con- 
tinual scrubbings. It looks quite rough and 
red sometimes; and, in any case, her skin 

is naturally too dark for her style of dress. 
44 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

She has an extraordinary fancy for white. 
Whenever it's possible to do so, she wears 
white dresses, white blouses, white gloves 
(never any kind but glacd kid), and white 
jewels. Pearls and diamonds in silver 
settings are plainly her favourites. She 
seldom, if ever, wears rings, except the plain 
wedding-ring. As a Catholic, she cannot 
really be divorced, and indeed, she re- 
gards herseK now much more as the con- 
sort of His Majesty the King of Saxony 
than she did in former days — and rarely 
speaks of him except as "my husband." 
The wedding-ring is the only gold she ever 
wears, as a rule. In her ears she usually 
has beautiful pearls, but seldom the won- 
derful diamond-buttons which she is known 
to possess. Monica shares her fancy for 
white, and if one tells her to pick some 
flowers, one may be perfectly certain that 
she will choose white roses instead of red 
ones, white pinks, white asters, and so on. 

And she decidedly likes her white frocks 
45 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

better than her dark ones, just as her mother 
does. 

The Princess lays great stress upon the 
care of the hands and feet, although with 
all her striving she can't succeed in giving 
her hands the much-coveted classic grace. 
Perhaps this makes her feet seem all the 
prettier! The toes are as flexible as fingers, 
and the nails are exquisitely kept. She 
showed me proudly, when we were talking 
of her regime, the beautiful naked foot, 
and moved the toes about, maintaining that 
she could easily have learnt to play the 
piano with them. 

In her manner, the Princess has all the 

incomparable charm of the Austrian woman, 

which contributes not a little to the general 

attraction of her personality. There is 

about her such a spontaneous, natural 

kindliness and grace that nobody can resist 

her for long. To this is added the charm 

of the pretty Austrian accent, which is 

noticeable in the Princess, although her 
46 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

voice is not particularly musical; on the 
contrary, when I came here, it seemed 
very thick, almost hoarse. This hoarse- 
ness spoils her singing, and I have already 
advised her to consult a specialist about it, 
which she has promised to do. 

One very quickly notices how accom- 
plished she is: she writes poetry and com- 
poses. She has already written about sixty 
songs ; she is particularly fond of the poems 
of Heinz Evers, and has set to music some 
of the most lyrical ones. She has promised 
to give me her poems to read, and to play 
her compositions to me. Some time ago, 
she studied modelling with a lady-sculptor, 
and after a few lessons was easily able to 
copy from the antique ; but the lessons have 
now been given up. It seems she is entirely 
lacking in the necessary application to do 
anything serious in the artistic line. She 
begins all sorts of things, and finishes 
nothing. Her whole atmosphere breathes 

of unrest, and gives the impression 

47 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

that she is incapable of concentration. 
Except two daily newspapers, the Tag 
and the Leipziger Neuesten Nachrichten, 
she reads little or nothing, and even those 
she runs through very hastily. The only 
thing she is really interested in is the Court 
news. 

In the early days of my stay, the papers 
were always bringing out more or less de- 
tailed descriptions of her meeting in Munich 
with her two eldest sons. All these accounts 
were read by the Princess with the deepest 
interest, and supplemented by contribu- 
tions from numerous "Louisa-maniacs." 
Each one, as it came, was cut out, and pasted 
into a book. She has volumes full of cut- 
tings already. Even all the jokes about 
her, the very worst and most disreputable 
(including those at the time of her relations 
with Giron), are carefully pasted in, and 
this, so far as I can see, is the only occupa- 
tion to which she keeps steadily. She 

showed me cuttings from the Jugend, from 

48 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

the Simplizissimus, from the Lustige Blatter^ 
and the other comic papers. 

This collection appears to afford her great 
pleasure. She is very proud of her "ar- 
chives," and told me radiantly that she was 
doing it all as a legacy for her children — a 
most singular idea! She doesn't seem to 
feel the slightest vexation, or to have any 
sort of sense of the impropriety and degra- 
dation of such notices. Indeed, she is so 
extraordinary that she only seems annoyed 
when the reports say anything that isn't true. 
It doesn't matter how dreadful the things 
are — that doesn't trouble her — only they 
must be facts ; that she insists upon. And 
an impudent, even a risky joke about her, 
doesn't seem to disturb her in the least. 
Indeed, it rather seems to me as if that is 
what amuses her most. 

This very day some more accounts about 
the Munich meeting came in. 

"Do, do look what the newspapers have 

stuck in to-day — here, in one of the Munich 

4 49 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ones — a sickening bit of sentimentality! 
You must hear it : ' Then the Princess ' — 
that's me — ' kissed passionately the hand of 
her mother'— my mother! — 'Tears were 
rolling down the Grand Duchess's face' — 
oh, of course, we all wept, swam in tears^ 
tears were streaming down everybody's 
cheeks ! I got it from friends this morning. 
They tell me that it was read out at a 
party, and that tears were running down 
everybody's cheeks there too. Such silly 
nonsense!" 

She made truly royal fun of the news- 
paper account, and of the kind friends, and 
ended with her usual expression on such 
occasions, "It makes me as sick as a dog." 

For the rest, the Princess always speaks 
with the most affectionate emotion of her 
children. Now, after she has just seen the 
two eldest, the longing for the other three 
is more violent than ever, and she is never 
tired of telling me about her darlings. 

"And I'm supposed to be going to give up 
50 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

the only one I have left — my little Monica! 
It's not to be thought of. Surely you, as a 
mother, must see that? My darling, my 
youngest, loveliest child, my sweet Monica 
must stay with me. That's as sure as Fate. 
If she doesn't, I shall simply go mad." 

But shortly afterwards the fear of going 
mad seemed to have died out, for she 
declared : 

"Before I give up Monica I must see the 
three others again." 

And when I cautiously ventured the ques- 
tion whether she really thought it would be 
better for Monica to stay with her, she sat 
up with a jerk, and exclaimed: 

"No! She would relinquish Monica un- 
conditionally — she was determined upon 
that, for she would never be able to give her 
the position which awaited her at the Court 
in Dresden." 



51 



CHAPTER IV 

I AM gradually getting to feel at home, and 

as if I were a part of the household machine 

— a machine, to tell the truth, which is 

somewhat ill-regulated, for if Haubold of 

the shrill voice had not constituted herself 

more or less "boss" of the place, the Italian 

servants would be even less regular and 

orderly than they are as it is. 

The Princess drives early every morning 

to the fencing-saloon, where she is taking 

lessons in "the art of the rapier" under the 

best fencing-master in Florence, Signor 

Giollini. After her lesson she has a bath 

at the " Roman Baths " and then pays visits, 

which last until lunch-time. Thus, there 

is plenty of opportunity, during the early 

part of the day, to take one's bearings in 

and about the villa. The Villa Montauto, 

which stands higher than almost any other 
52 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

of the many such buildings on Bellosguardo, 
belongs, as I have already said, to the 
Counts of Montauto, from whom the Prin- 
cess rents it furnished. Through an iron 
gate you come into a garden ; then by broad 
gravel paths, bordered with laurels, you 
reach an open square, surrounded by trees 
and shrubbery, and closed on the right- 
hand side by the house. This is a sprawl- 
ing, two-storied erection, which, with its 
barred windows and bleak, bare fa9ade, 
makes a very uninteresting sort of impres- 
sion. The high tower, which overtops the 
house, is visible only from the street, whence 
the villa looks dignified and stately enough. 
By a plain, brown-painted door, you reach 
a hall, with a fireplace, on the right of which 
a handsome staircase leads to the upper 
storey. Crimson stair-carpets with brass 
rods give it a homelike, cosy look, intensi- 
fied by a group of palms and leafy plants 
on the landing. The upstairs corridor is 

narrow and scantily furnished. One of the 
53 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

pieces is a black marble table, with beau- 
tiful coloured mosaic-work. Everywhere 
stand vases with growing flowers. On the 
right of the hall, a door leads to the kitchen 
and basements; and close by is another 
door, with a crimson portiere, by which the 
enormous dining-room is reached. It's a 
bleak sort of room, with two windows, and 
its bareness is appalling — it hasn't a sin- 
gle curtain or hanging of any kind. But 
the view from its windows makes up for 
its own lack of beauty. A real paradise 
seems spread before one's enraptured eyes. 
White villas nestle among green gardens, 
dominated by a few tall cypresses. Olive- 
orchards, fields, and fruit-trees climb right 
up the hill-side, and in the background a 
chain of lofty mountains bounds the hori- 
zon, with the deep blue sky above all — a 
heavenly picture. 

Unwillingly one turns from it to the arid 
desolation of the room. The whitewashed 

walls have as sole decoration about four 
54 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

family portraits of the Counts of Montauto 
— if, indeed, such wretched old engravings 
deserve the name of decoration. Sofas 
stand against two of the walls; there are 
various tables and low consoles with marble 
tops, on which the Princess's beautiful 
silver, with her monogram and the crown, 
makes a brave show. A dozen upholstered 
chairs. Empire style, like the sofas, are the 
only other furniture besides the marble 
stove and the big dinner-table. The table 
is luxuriously and tastefully laid; a silver 
flower basket, which is always filled with 
flowers or greenery, decorates the centre of 
it. From the dining-room a door on the 
left leads into the servants' hall, a singularly 
uncomfortable and unpleasant apartment. 
The same door leads into the other rooms as 
well. Exactly opposite the foot of the stair- 
case is the little Princess Monica's room, 
which the nursery-maid shares with her. 
It is large and bright, with two balconied 

windows looking on the front. This room 
55 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

is the nicest and sunniest in the house. In 
the centre stands a table, surrounded by 
chairs and stools. One side of the room 
displays the wardrobe and dainty little 
washstand; on the other side stand the 
two beds. At the farther end are the stove, 
the maid's washstand, and the chest of 
drawers, while between the big windows 
stands a sofa covered with the same cretonne 
as the chairs and stools, and a simple toilet- 
table. When I have mentioned Monica's 
little play-table and bench, and a couple of 
small chairs in the corner where her toys are 
kept, I have said all. A double door leads 
from here to the Princess's apartments. I 
must confess that I entered them with much 
curiosity. Disappointment was inevitable! 
What ? In these unostentatious, even ugly, 
rooms (all with cold stone floors), lives a 
Princess of the Imperial house, whose 
rooms in Dresden were known to have been 
fairy-talelike in their luxury. It is simply 

incredible ! 

56 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

The first, a large room opening on the 
balcony, is her bed and dressing room. 
The centre of it is occupied by a very large 
old-fashioned bed, low, and with a sort of 
estrade running round three sides of it. It 
is in carved ebony, and covered with a heavy 
crimson silk quilt. On the table de nuit 
lies the prayer-book, bound in black leather 
with a gold cross on it. On the wall near 
the bed hangs a very good pastel-portrait 
of Monica. A handsome marble mantel- 
piece, with a mirror above it, and some 
chairs covered in faded, worn red silk, are 
the only other things of importance in the 
room. In the window stands the toilet- 
table, strewn with costly silver and crystal, 
and boasting a tall revolving looking-glass. 

Adjoining the bedroom is a little corner 

drawing-room, where the only furniture is 

an ordinary writing-table, a little sofa, some 

small corner cupboards, and chairs. A 

few water-colours deck the walls. Here, as 

everywhere, flowers abound, in slender, and 

57 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

sometimes costly, glass vases. After this 
room comes the lady's maid's, and next to 
that the bathroom, which has been built 
out at the back. 

The lower storey contains several sitting- 
rooms of varying size, but these are fur- 
nished only with the barest necessaries, 
chairs being the principal installation. 
Some of the rooms have frescoes, valuable 
inlaid tables, faded silk hangings, and di- 
vans along the walls. On the whole, the 
impression is of departed glory, which doubt- 
less would have cost a great deal to retain. 

On the other side of the hall are three 
rooms communicating with each other. 
The first serves as a dining-room for the 
lady's maid, the nursery-maid, and the 
chauffeur. To this is attached a little bed- 
room, and to that, again, the largest of the 
three, which has been assigned to me. It is 
a bleak, bare place, with tapestry hangings 
and a stone floor, but it has a beautifully 

painted ceiling! Most of the space is taken 

58 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

up by a vast four-poster, which is richly 
decorated with white net curtains, overhung 
by heavy oKve-green ones. A primitive 
washstand, a table de nuit, sl chest of 
drawers with a white marble top, half a 
dozen chairs, a comfortable cretonne-cov- 
ered arm-chair, comprise, with the indis- 
pensable stove and toilet-table, the entire 
furniture — not a picture, not a carpet, not 
the faintest attempt at decoration of any 
kind. I begged for somewhere to hang up 
my dresses, and was given a sort of iron 
stand, like what one sees in a hall. The 
room is ineffably dreary — ^vault-like almost 
in its bareness, with its one barred window. 
And then it lies so desperately low ! It has 
two doors of unseasoned wood, one of which 
shuts badly; and there are two more in the 
hangings, which lead to a large, empty room, 
and a lot of narrow, winding passages. 
Though I'm not naturally timid, it all feels 
very eerie, and especially when, as now, I 

sit alone late at night by my stove in my 
59 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

arm-chair — the sole occupant of the ground- 
floor. I have put up the photographs of 
my distant near and dear ones, so as to 
make the place more homelike, and picked 
myself a bunch of roses, which grow in 
almost wild luxuriance all over the garden. 

I mustn't leave the basement undescribed. 
It is lofty and spacious, and contains several 
good-sized rooms. Some serve as wood- 
stores, and for other lumber. One con- 
tains the Princess's many leather trunks; 
another is her hanging-cupboard, so to 
speak; and in this there are also a linen- 
press and ironing-board. A steep, narrow 
flight of stairs leads from this room to the 
bathroom, which is convenient for the 
Princess. 

On the east of the house is the en- 
trance to the chapel, which, however, is 
not used. It is tolerably large, with many 
rows of benches, a beautiful old altar, with 
the usual Florentine altar-piece — a Ma- 
donna and angels — and two confessionals. 
60 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Some hundred yards from the villa there 
stands, surrounded by trees, a very pretty 
pillared building, which now serves as a 
garage. Behind this is an old house, in- 
habited by a peasant and his family; for 
the extensive olive-orchards and vineyards 
which belong to the villa are worked for the 
profit of the Counts of Montauto. Round 
the corner from the garage one comes upon 
a most characteristic picture of rural South- 
ern life: poultry, cattle, dark-haired peas- 
ant children, and men and women busied 
in the plucking or reaping of the olives. 
The women fetch water from the house 
in classically-shaped, copper-vessels — and 
these are the only living beings one sees 
about here. The garden is much neglected, 
but looks charming in its luxuriant ver- 
dure, particularly when one looks down on 
it from the first storey of the house. There 
are still some asters and chrysanthemums 
in the flower-beds, and white and crimson 

roses peep out from among the laurel- 
61 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

I 

bushes. The tower of the villa, with its 

two tall cypresses beside it, looks immensely 

picturesque from a distance. And yet it all 

makes a dreary sort of impression upon me, 

somehow. The house is certainly very far 

from comfortable inside. One can never 

get warm in it. 



62 



CHAPTER V 

November 4. 

The Princess went off very early this morn- 
ing to Bologna with the chauffeur to fetch 
the automobile, which was still under repair. 
The chauffeur is not quite well yet, either. 
The Princess, who has a passion for playing 
the Good Samaritan, bandages him herself 
every day. And so I have Moni all to my- 
self for once. If only it was the case every 
day! How quickly she would have got 
accustomed to me, and how easily I could 
then have adopted a good system with her, 
which I clearly see already will be, as things 
are, inconceivably difficult! 

The last few days I have started regularly 
at ten o'clock each morning for a walk with 
the little Princess. These promenades usu- 
ally prolong themselves till twelve o'clock, 
63 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

and then the noonday gun gives us the sig- 
nal for turning back, so as to get home in 
good time for half-past one lunch. The 
weather has been wonderfully beautiful 
for these early November days. As the 
Princess says, we are enjoying the St. Mar- 
tin's summer, which is so frequent in Italy. 
It is as summer-like here now as we have 
it in Germany in September. The sky is 
brilliantly blue, and at noon the sun is so 
hot that we have had to take to our light 
summer-clothes, straw-hats, and parasols 
again. The warmth outside makes the 
damp chilliness of the house all the more 
detestable. And it has brought in its train 
a disagreeable accompaniment — a plague of 
flies. The tiresome little mosquitoes, too, 
disturb our sleep with their venomous stings. 
Sometimes we have regular pitched battles 
with them, in which, despite the number of 
disabled on their side, we always seem to 
come off with the most wounds. Poor little 

Moni especially was simply covered with 

64 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

blisters this morning. The Princess rec- 
ommends us to try burning fumigating- 
tapers, called zampironi ; but whether they 
will be of the slightest good still remains 
to be seen. However, during the daytime 
we can enjoy undisturbed the beauties of 
Nature, and we are determined not to waste 
a moment of these last weeks of warmth. 
The last few days we have usually walked 
on Bellosguardo, where there are any 
amount of delightful narrow paths, with 
oaks and olive-trees peeping over the walls. 
Wonderful Florence lies spread out at our 
feet, clustered round the Duomo, which is 
the great architectural feature of the town 
proper. The lower town is, as it were, 
grouped around it, 'and its many campa- 
nile. The most remarkable features are, of 
course, those ancient glories of Florence — 
the Palazzi Pitti and Vecchio. 

It is a wonderfully beautiful prospect 
that one beholds through the laurel and 

olive boughs. Evidently my Moni has 
5 65 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

never been taught to notice the extraordi- 
nary beauty of the scene, for when, on one 
of the early days, I took her by the hand and 
pointed out to her the exquisite picture at 
our feet, she stood still and looked at it for 
a moment, and ever since, wherever there 
is an opening, she stands still and cries 
pleadingly, "Come, Frau Kremer: we 
must look at the lovely view again" — and 
smilingly I remember the old lesson-book 
of "Eyes and No Eyes." 

Monica has scarcely any sense of colour, 
and possibly this explains her preference 
for the neutrality of white; but, at the 
same time, she is very much interested in 
the subject, for whenever she picks up a 
stone, a leaf, an acorn, or any other little 
thing, she always asks what colour it is. 

"Do tell me, Frau Kremer, what colour 
the sky is." 

"The sky is blue." 

"And what color is the house?" 

"The house is red." 
66 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

"And now, now, Frau Kremer, what 
colour is the gate?" 

"The gate is grey." 

Then I begin to examine her. 

"Now it's your turn, Moni. What col- 
our is the sky ? " 

"The sky is red." 

"No, no! the sky is blue, and the house 
is red; and now, what colour is the gate.^" 

"The gate is " 

But she has forgotten. 

The children playing on the roadside, 
too, give Moni cause for profound reflec- 
tion. 

"Moni can't bear babies." 

"Why can't Moni bear babies.'^" 

"Because babies are stupid." 

"But why do you say babies are stupid .? 
How do you know they are.'^" 

"Because Moni can't bear babies." 

"But you don't know that the babies 

aren't very nice. Babies aren't naughty at 

all; perhaps they're much nicer than Moni." 
67 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

"Moni can't bear babies. Moni will 
kill babies — Moni will kill babies dead ! " 

But at that I get very grave, and say: 

"Hush! The big babies have nothing 
to do with Moni, and if Moni tries to hurt 
them they'll try to hurt Moni. And now 
be good, and take my hand." 

But Moni has not finished. After a 
while she begins again: 

"Babies are very stupid! Moni will cut 
them up in pieces; Moni will give them a 
good slap!" 

"And why should Moni give the babies 
a good slap?" 

"Because Moni can't bear babies." 

Then I scold her again, and this time it 
does seem to make some impression upon 
her, for she walks on with her hand in mine 
and her head bent very low. I am silent 
also. After a while she begins indignantly: 

"Moni is making a very angry face." 

"She can make as angry a face as she 

likes — I don't care! It would be much 
68 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

nicer if she made a pretty face, and was 
good, and then I should love her very 
much." 

She understands that, and soon she is 
running about happily again, and picking 
up acorns. 

I needn't say that Moni has all the 
naughty ways of any other little spoilt 
Princess. When she doesn't want to run 
any more she declares flatly, "Moni is 
stanca.'' The German word for "tired" 
has not yet come into her vocabulary. 

The conversation about the babies has its 
parallel in a conversation about dogs which 
occurs almost daily. 

In the first place, Monica runs after 
every dog she sees, and tries to beat him. 
Then she comes up to me, and says, "Moni 
can't bear dogs." 

This gives me an opportunity for some 
general remarks, which haven't the slight- 
est effect, for on the next day the same 

conversation is repeated. 
69 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Colours, children, and dogs are the stand- 
ing topics of our walks. 

Moni has no particular love for animals. 
The house-cat at Montauto, by name 
Bucki, is so well acquainted with this pecu- 
liarity of the little Princess, that whenever 
he sees her he flies as if for his life. If she 
succeeds in catching him, she pulls him by 
the tail; he scratches her, and she cries — a 
performance which takes place every time 
they meet. For the rest, it's immensely 
amusing to listen to her chatter. Very 
frequently the German word fails her, but 
an Italian one is instantly substituted. 
For example, the word "horse" doesn't 
come easily to her yet, and so she says in- 
stead: "Do look, Frau Kremer, what a 
beautiful cavallochen !"' But she perfect- 
ly knows a mule from a horse; she can 
imitate the grunting of a pig in great style, 
and often she says, "This is what Gio- 
conda does when she is asleep," and makes 

the most exaggerated snores. She is deeply 
70 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

absorbed in the thought of what she'll do 
"when she's big." 

"When Moni is a big lady," she tells me, 
"she will go all by herself in the train — all 
by herself, without any nurse, ever so far 
away, to Munich and Dresden, and then 
she'll throw all the luggage out of the win- 
dow, and call 'Porter!' Then the porter 
will take all the luggage and Moni will 
drive in a droschky to the hotel, and say, 
'Waiter, a dinner!' and Moni will eat a 
whole dinner all to herself, and then she'll 
drive away again." 

"And Vi^ill you go and see your dear 
Frau Kremer then.?" I ask the little lady. 

"Yes, and then Moni will visit Frau 
Kremer and Katie and Martha, and the 
little sick children in Dresden, when Moni 
is a real big lady," she repeats. 

Still so tiny, and yet such a complicated 
little being, this four-year-old Duchess of 
Saxony! Every day she declares at least 

three or four times: "Moni loves nobody 

71 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

but Hede," or "Frau Kremer," or most 
often, *'Moiii loves nobody but Lagler" — 
the chauffeur, who takes very little notice 
of her. I always forbid these speeches, 
and tell her that she must love everybody, 
but particularly her mamma. She usually 
adds then: "Moni loves nobody but mam- 
ma — and Frau Kremer and Hede." The 
child knows that she can wound her friends 
by saying these things, and it is hard to 
break her of the habit. Whenever I scold 
her or forbid her to do something "naugh- 
ty," she begins at once: *'Moni loves no- 
body but Lagler!" 

It is charming when I ask her her name, 
and she says "Anna Monica Pia," adding, 
"Herz of Saxony."* When she is going to 
sleep, she often takes her mother and me 
and Haubold all in one embrace of her 
little arms, and so, pressing all our heads 
together, kisses each on the forehead. But 

*Herzogin (duchess): in the baby-language, Herz, which 
means "heart." (Translator's Note.) 

72 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

whenever anything at Montauto happens 
not to please my Httle lady, she flatly 
declares that "Moni will go to Dresden 
to her Papa, and her brothers and sisters!'* 
and a minute afterwards is maintaining that 
"Moni will not go to Dresden, but stay at 
Montauto with Mamma and Hede." So 
the days go by, and more than ever am I 
convinced that the chief hindrance to a 
suitable bringing-up of the little Princess 
lies in the fact that though she may not 
fully understand her peculiar relation to 
her parents, she yet instinctively feels it, 
and, so to speak, trades upon it. She 
knows that she is the gauge of battle, and 
makes good use of her knowledge. But, 
anyhow, here in Montauto a really serious 
system of training is out of the question, 
for I am not given a free hand in anything, 
and the child can always appeal to her 
mother, who is as irresponsible in her pet- 
ting as in her wrath. Moreover, in my 

opinion, Monica has been made positively 
73 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

neurotic by the treatment of Haubold, 
whom I should call almost an hysterical 
case. Although, like every untrained child, 
the little Princess sometimes needs a chas- 
tising hand, it is not right that Haubold 
should be unduly severe with her, and 
a quarter of an hour later nearly stifle her 
with kisses. Whither that sort of thing is 
tending I saw to my consternation this 
evening. For the first time I put my little 
Moni to bed entirely by myself, washed 
her, plaited her curly locks, heard her 
prayers, and then tucked her up, warm 
and cosy. 

"Ah! please, dear Frau Kremer, stay a 
little while with Moni." So I sat down on 
a chair beside her cot. "Dear Frau Kre- 
mer — do stroke Moni — please, please!" — 
and she drew my hand to her neck and 
turned her head, and then kept drawing 
my hand along her neck from ear to little 
chin. As she did so a peculiar look came 

over the child's face, which positively dis- 

74 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

torted it; and her whole body seemed to 
stretch itself, so that I stopped my stroking 
of her neck in great distress of mind. 

"Now, that's enough, Moni. Good- 
night, and sleep beautifully, my darling!" 
I said, and got up to go. But she begged 
and begged so excitedly for "more strok- 
ing" that I could scarcely quiet her. Just 
then Haubold came in, and said crossly: 
"What is this? She wants to be stroked.? 
No, no — that's not allowed. You must go 
to sleep and be good!" 

She then told me that it was a silly habit 
of the child's to want to be stroked to sleep, 
and that this fancy had taken such a tre- 
mendous hold upon her that they had been 
obliged strictly to forbid it. But who ac- 
customed the child to this stroking (which 
appears to me to have had a pathological 
effect upon her) I have not yet found out, 
even from the Princess — who, by the way, 
has come back with the automobile from 

Bologna, and was within an ace of having 

75 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

a serious accident on the road. There 
was a fog, and, at a sharp turning, the 
car nearly ran down a precipice; but the 
chauffeur managed to bring it to a stand- 
still at the last moment. 

The Princess told the story laughing, 
and with no sign of having been frightened; 
but she seems to be extraordinarily insen- 
sible to physical pain, and possibly her san- 
guine nature helps her to recover quickly. 
She herself is conscious of this attribute, 
and very proud of it. For instance, she told 
me about the broken leg that she got last 
May in a fall from her bicycle. She had 
gone out early to visit a sick woman, who 
lived some distance away, got a side-slip at 
a muddy corner, and was thrown off. Some 
passers-by rendered her "first aid," and then 
a doctor came and said it was a compound 
fracture above the ankle, and brought her 
home in a cab. When she arrived she called 
out cheerfully to the terrified Hedwig, "It's 

nothing, Hede; I've only broken my leg." 
76 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

She was on her back for a long time and 
suffered terribly, but less from the frac- 
ture than from the heat, which even a more 
exaggerated decolletage than usual did not 
save her from. Then she showed me her 
naked foot, and laid it upon my lap. I 
admired the* wonderful reknitting of the 
bones, and then, of course, I had to go on 
to admire her flexible toes, moving about 
in the air like fingers. 



77 



CHAPTER VI 

November 5. 

The automobile is the great excitement of 
to-day; already the Princess has driven to 
town and to the baths in it. It is a dark 
green coupe — a Mercedes-car, and cost 
28,000 lire. In addition to it, however, 
the two "body-guard" cabs are constantly 
used, one of them driven by fat Tonnino, 
with his pleasant rosy face, and the other 
by a thin Pietro with a pale face. One of 
these stands at the Porta Romana, and the 
other at the Piazza San Trinita. After her 
bath, the Princess drove to see her friend, 
the well-known English art-critic, Miss 
Zimmern. The lady was born in Ham- 
burg of Jewish parents, who then took her 
to England, so that English has become her 
mother-tongue, and she speaks it better 

than German. She has been settled in 

78 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Florence for about twenty years, living on 
a modest income, earned chiefly by her pen. 
Her name is often to be seen in English 
periodicals. She is, it seems, the Prin- 
cess's most intimate friend. 

The house in which Miss Zimmern lives 
is also partly used as an ambulanza, and 
the Princess constantly goes there in her 
favourite role of Good Samaritan. When 
she spends the morning in this way — but 
it's not exactly an everyday occurrence — 
she usually takes three changes of dress 
with her in her big silk bag. She wears a 
fencing-dress first at the morning's lesson. 
Of these she has two, one in white, and the 
other in black, velvet. Then comes the 
bathing-dress for the swimming-bath, and, 
finally, the nurse's costume for the hospital; 
for she helps to bandage the sick and wash 
the instruments there. Thus she has five 
changes of dress in the early part of the 
day. 

After lunch she usually puts on a tea- 

79 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

gown — that's a sixth change; then after 
dinner, if she is going out — which happens 
nearly every evening — she dashes into full 
dress. That's the seventh time. And at 
night she puts on her nightgown — the eighth 
change ! 

The day seldom goes by without as many 
changes as this, and, of course, washing — 
if possible, from head to foot — takes up a 
good deal of time also. 

The Princess sent us up the automobile 
from the hospital, and had given the chauf- 
feur a message to say that I was to drive 
with Monica through the town, and then 
up the hill to Fiesole. That was indeed a 
bit of pure joy, especially as Monica and I 
are getting to be real friends. As we were 
driving through the town she suddenly 
threw both her little arms round my neck 
and kissed me heartily. 

On the way to Fiesole a truly marvellous 

panorama unfolds itself. It rises before 

the eyes like a magnificent fresco, the 
80 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

colouring kaleidoscopic in its brilliancy. 
Amongst other things, we passed by the 
Princess's first house, the much-talked-of 
Villa Papignano, which stands in San Do- 
menico. It was here that the notorious 
Muth-affair took place. 

The afternoon brought further varieties. 
Belucci, the laundry-man, appeared upon 
the scene, with his boraccio full of linen. 
The history of Belucci is that he bought 
the boraccio and its accompanying pony 
from the Princess. When she first came 
here she always used this characteristic na- 
tive vehicle, which was afterwards replaced 
by the automobile. So now Belucci ap- 
pears every Saturday and Monday, throned 
upon his boraccio, amid a pyramid of laun- 
dry-baskets. He is a pleasant, smiling 
man, on whose account even Monica gives 
up half an hour of her beloved afternoon 
sleep, chiefly so that she may have a ride 
upon the dear old brown pony, 

I wanted to make use of this first occa- 
6 81 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

sion to send some clothes to the wash, so 
Haubold seized the opportunity of telhng 
me, in the name of the Princess, that I was 
expected to pay for my own laundry — an 
economical arrangement which is nullified 
by the fact that she thinks nothing of buy- 
ing as many as twelve dozen very expen- 
sive tablecloths, when she happens to see a 
pattern which takes her fancy. 

She goes in for gorgeous linen of every 
kind, and her underclothing is of most ex- 
pensive simplicity. It is made of miracu- 
lously fine white batiste, and trimmed with 
the loveliest real lace. For the most part 
it comes from Paris. Every single piece 
bears her monogram with the crown above. 
Monica also has exquisite underlinen — 
most of it made at Radloff and Bottcher's 
in Dresden. Her linen also is embroidered 
with a little crown, and nearly all trimmed 
with Valenciennes lace. The Princess's 
table-linen is particularly beautiful; it is 

entirely unpatterned, and of the glossiest 

82 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

linen, richly decorated with broad inser- 
tions of a most uncommon description of 
Florentine work, a guipure-like embroid- 
ery, something like Hardanger work. Even 
the napkins have these insertions, and she 
has it upon several of her white tea-gowns. 
She is a great connoisseur in embroideries, 
and showed me, on some of her house- 
dresses, a very peculiar Celtic pattern — of 
runes, she said — which she has had copied 
by Florentine embroiderers. It is extraor- 
dinarily lovely. 



This evening the Princess gave me the 
manuscript of one of her stories to read in 
my room. Her friends induced her to 
write down the artless little tale, which 
Miss Zimmern has translated for an Eng- 
lish publisher. A friend, Count Manini, is 
to do the illustrations. She tells me that 
her uncle. Prince of Ysenburg, used often 

to tell the story at his castle, where the 
83 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

thing actually happened, and made a deep 

impression upon every one who witnessed it. 

I began my reading with great curiosity: 

"On the very top of the castle-roof a 
stork had built his nest, and he soon brought 
a lady stork to live in it. After a short 
time the little stork wife had some eggs to 
sit on, and soon the father and mother 
were busy with the feeding of the hungry 
young birds. Often the father stork flew 
great distances to pick up frogs and other 
dainties, while the little mother sat at home 
in the nest. One day her fate came to her 
in the shape of a stranger-stork, who alighted 
on the roof a little way from the nest. Stead- 
ily the two looked at one another. Just 
then the husband came back, saw the 
couple, and flew off again. Immovable 
sat the little mother stork on the nest. 
Nearer came the stranger, never taking his 
eyes off her. Then the husband came 

back with a lot of other storks, and they 
84 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

all fell upon the stranger and mangled him 
so terribly with their beaks that he soon lay 
bleeding and half-dead at the edge of the 
roof. And so he lay for two days, still 
looking with his dying eyes at the immov- 
able little mother stork on the nest. One day 
when her husband left her for a short time 
she flew down from the nest and brought the 
dying stork a little something to eat. She 
did that many times. But on the third day 
he died. He gave one tender look at his dis- 
tant love, and then he slipped down to the 
ground from the edge of the roof. And 
the little mother stork sat immovable on 
the nest until the young ones were fledged. 
And then she rose slowly, took one of the 
young birds in her bill and flung it down 
to the ground, and it was killed. Just as 
quietly she took up the second young one 
and flung it down too, and then the third. 
Then she went back to the nest, and sat 
there immovable as before. The father 

stork, flying back, saw what a terrible 
85 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

thing had happened, and circled miserably 
round the spot. But the little stork mother 
sat quite still in her stony calm; she would 
not have anything to eat, and in a few days 
she sank back dead in the nest. Then the 
poor father stork gave one wild flap of his 
wings and flew away, never to return." 

The story is very simply and tenderly 
w^ritten. She shows a certain talent for 
narration by leaving the tragedy of the 
fable to speak for itself, without any com- 
ment. Of course, if it were printed, even 
with illustrations, its chief, perhaps its only, 
recommendation would be the fact that the 
Princess Louise is the author! Well, if she 
were Queen now, as she might have been. 
Carmen Sylva would have to look to her 
laurels as a Royal Poetess! 

November 6. 
Moni is getting fonder and fonder of me, 

and I think even the Princess is beginning 
86 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

to lose the feeling of reserve which she 
could not avoid having, and occasionally 
let me see rather plainly. "Do you know 
what you are, Frau Kremer?" little Moni 
asked me this morning when I was dress- 
ing her, and she looked at me roguishly, 
and laughed a sly little laugh. "No; do 
tell me, Moni." Then she pulled my ear 
down to her mouth, and said mysteriously, 
"You're a little baggage!" She thought 
it a huge joke, but I had a sort of feeling 
that the old proverb might have its appli- 
cation: "Little pitchers have long ears."* 
Well, it would be a sign of success, any- 
how, and my hopes wax high! 



I don't know what the reason may have 
been, but to-day I was requested to visit 
the Princess in her bedroom. This, in- 
deed, is everybody's thoroughfare; it is a 
mark of the great irregularity in the house- 

* " Wie die Alten sungen, so zwitscherten die Jungen." 
87 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

hold that none of the servants thinks any- 
thing of walking into her bedroom without 
even knocking. 

While she was talking with me, my 
glance strayed to the glittering gold cross 
on the prayer-book by her bedside. She 
must have seen, for she turned round and 
handed me the book, laughing and show- 
ing her lovely teeth. 

*'Look! Isn't it clever of me.?" 
I opened the prayer-book, and couldn't 
believe my eyes when I saw the title-page: 
Goethe's Faust! Clever, indeed! Faust 
in a prayer-book cover with a golden cross 
on it. . . . She had it done through a 
friend, when she was in exile with a sanc- 
timonious old Countess at Ronno, and had 
to go to Mass every day — "so that she 
mightn't be absolutely sick with boredom," 
she says. And thus Faust became her 
daily reading! As a matter of fact, she is 
always quoting from it, but, curiously 

enough, only from one passage, that be- 

88 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ginning, "The Holy Church has a stomach 
healthy." * 

We have had a busy day! The Prin- 
cess's things came from Salzburg. They 
are her private property, and were sent 
after her four years ago when she fled from 
Dresden, or, rather, as she says, "were 
simply flung at her parents' heads at Salz- 
burg." They are her dowry, so to speak 
— her personal presents and souvenirs — 
and we are now unpacking them in the 
garage. The most important thing is a 
magnificent Bechstein grand; then comes 
a wardrobe of very beautiful workmanship, 
which was a present from Queen Carola. 
There are some antique carved black oak 
pieces also — the very things to furnish 
forth that bare, bleak vestibule! Natu- 
rally, they have, none of them, been im- 
proved by their four years' storage in the 

*"Die Kirche hat einen guten Magen" (Bayard Taylor's 
translation). 

89 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

lumber-rooms at Salzburg. The black oak 
especially has got quite grey with accumu- 
lated dust. It was a sight to see the Prin- 
cess working at it! She got hold of the 
dusters and brushes herself, and brushed 
the legs of the tables, and polished all the 
dim old stuff with a vigorous hand — first 
the table, the legs of which are decorated 
with carved horses' heads; then a chest, a 
footstool, some chairs, and a cupboard. 
These things are to stand in the vestibule; 
the grand piano is coming into the dining- 
room; and the oil-painting of her pet dog, 
which formerly hung in Wachwitz, is now 
put up over the mantelpiece. On the op- 
posite wall one of the men hung up her 
hunting-trophies — several wild birds, horns, 
and so on. The moths have got into the 
birds' plumage, and some most deplorable 
specimens are hung up very high so that 
they may not be seen. We came across a 
couple of pairs of old prayer-rugs, which I 

sewed together in all haste and hung up as 
90 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

portieres, so that the hitherto bare and 
inhospitable hall, whose only charm was 
the crimson stair-carpets, now looks quite 
warm and cosy. 

I felt a great pang at the disposition of a 
fine old chest, which had also been a pres- 
ent from Queen Carola. It is entirely cov- 
ered with a design of chestnut-leaves in 
bronze, the centre being left clear for an 
inscription, the well-known lines : 

Glorious,' said the Saxon monarch, 

' Is my country in its pride; 
Silver in its mountain caverns 

Glittering lies on every side.* "* 

The sight of this magnificent chest evi- 
dently gave the Princess real physical 
pain, for she instantly presented it to Hau- 
bold! 

Amongst the finest things were some 
wonderful Buddhas in bronze and carved 

* " ' Herrlich,' sprach der Fiirst von Sachsen, 
' 1st mein Land und seine Macht; 
Silber hegen seine Berge 

Wohl in manchem tiefen Schacht.' " 
91 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ivory, presents from one of her brothers, 
who brought them home after a tour in 
India. The costly Persian caipets had 
suffered most of all — they were absolutely 
eaten away by moths. There are only 
about three that can be used at all, and, by 
this means, Moni has at last got a rug for 
her bedroom! The second is coming into 
the Princess's room, and the third is to go 
under the table in the dining-room, so that 
we shall actually have something to pro- 
tect our feet from the cold stones. When I 
saw the troubled look of the Princess, I 
promised her to do my utmost to restore the 
carpets to some of their original beauty. 
She was greatly pleased, and immediately 
after lunch she went down into the town 
herself and bought wool for the purpose, 
and I have already done a lot this after- 
noon. She was visibly delighted when I 
told her in the evening that I was getting on 
very well. She thanked me over and over 

again. 

92 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Most of the things were put back in the 
boxes again. There were some kitchen 
utensils amongst them, and very plain ones 
too — cups, saucepans, lamps, and so on. 
In the end I, too, got an old carpet, so that 
even my bedroom is beginning to lose some 
of its discomfortable look. 

The only thing besides the carpet which 
the Princess found worthy of a place in her 
own room was a really excellent picture 
of Prince Ernest, otherwise "Ernie' or 
"Nosikins,"* as she used to call him; he 
was her favourite, it seems. But she never 
speaks of any of her children except by pet 
names. Thus she calls the Crown Prince 
George "Juri," Prince Christian "Tia," 
Princess Margaret "Ete," or "Eterl," 
Princess Maria Alix "Riali," and Princess 
Anna Monica Pia "Moni," or "Cherry 
Cheeks.' t She told me, too, how she 
came to call her Monica. There's an old 

* " Schnute-mannerl," 

t "Kirchen-mannerl." 

93 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

picture at Wachwitz of St. Augustine and 
his mother Monica, hence the name. 



November 7. 

I learnt to-day, for the first time, that the 
Princess has a real lady-in-waiting — Coun- 
tess Fugger — who at present is staying in 
Munich. The Grand Duke of Tuscany 
did not wish that his daughter should be 
without feminine companionship in her 
exile, and therefore appointed the Countess 
to this post. But she seems to spend the 
greater part of the year in Munich, and 
evidently by the Princesses desire. It is 
well known how that lady rebels against 
the almost Spanish rigidity of Court eti- 
quette; but of course the Countess is al- 
ways ready to come to Florence at a mo- 
ment's notice. The Princess intends to 
have her here for Christmas; but, indeed, 
it would not be at all a bad plan if she 

could only make up her mind to keep her 
94 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

permanently, for the house terribly needs 
some organization. The Princess leaves 
her servants entirely to themselves, so that 
they do just as much or as little as they 
like, and that is remarkably little. The 
best thing about Fraulein Haubold is that 
she does make some sort of an attempt, 
in spite of her shocking Italian, to control 
the servants. But the Princess would be 
spared many other unpleasantnesses, too, 
if she had somebody to influence her. For 
example, the following: there was an of- 
fensive article in one of the Florentine 
newspapers lately, which intimated that 
anyone who wished to see the Countess 
Montignoso fencing in man's attire with 
the jeunesse doree of the town, need only go 
any morning to Giollini's fencing-saloon, 
where that pleasure was to be had. She 
herself didn't much mind this, but her friends 
and acquaintances, especially Miss Zim- 
mern, urgently advised her either to give up 

this fancy entirely — and that she wouldn't 
95 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

do, for fencing is such good exercise and suits 
her admirably — or else to have her lessons 
at the Villa. She consented to this latter 
suggestion, and so the big room on the 
ground-floor, near the billiard-room, which 
has hitherto been unused, is now be- 
ing arranged as a fencing-saloon, and we 
are expecting Signor GioUini to-morrow 
morning. 



96 



CHAPTER VII 

We started off early again to-day at clean- 
ing and brushing and carpet-darning. In 
the afternoon, immediately after lunch, the 
Princess asked me to come into town with 
her — ^for the first time. In spite of her 
comparatively short stature, she walks un- 
usually fast, so that it is quite difficult to 
keep up with her. We went into various 
shops, and bought more materials for car- 
pet-darning. On the way she took the 
opportunity of talking to me, with extraor- 
dinary frankness, of her family and money 
affairs, as well as of her life at home and in 
Dresden. At home she had, as she says, 
less than many a poor girl — only fifty 
marks a month, out of which she had to 
buy all her clothes. Then she came to 
Dresden, where she had lots of money, and 

where she could have lived happily enough 

7 97 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

if it hadn't been for the unbearable tyranny 
of the then King. Indeed, she lays upon 
him the moral responsibility for every- 
thing that has happened. But her after- 
life must have been terrible, too — the time 
when she was with Giron in Switzerland 
and on the Riviera. She must have had a 
genuine passion for Giron, though as time 
went on it changed to something very dif- 
ferent; for it is notorious that, especially 
when they were in the South, he treated 
her with daily increasing insolence and un- 
kindness, so that at last she came actually 
to dislike him, and ran away from him. 
Then came a terrible episode. She was 
sent, by her parents' desire, into exile at 
Ronno, to a horribly bigoted and disgust- 
ingly grasping old Countess, who had been 
chosen for her by her no less bigoted mother 
— the Grand Duchess of Tuscany. The 
idea was to "drive the devil out of her," 
by a system of punishment and semi-star- 
vation ! 

98 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

A more pleasant memory is that of the 
days in the Isle of Wight. 

I must say it was painful to me to listen 
to these revelations, and I don't exactly 
understand why she told me so much. 
Can she really be beginning to trust me? 
She hasn't said so in so many words, al- 
though she has already taken many oppor- 
tunities of praising me, especially for my 
system with Monica. 

To-day, also, I became acquainted with 
Miss Zimmern. The Princess herself took 
me there. We went up three steep dark 
steps into the old Palazzo Buondelmonti. 
(Every lodging-house in Italy is called a 
folazzo.) The lady received us at the 
head of the stairs, and shook hands with 
me very cordially. She asked me at once 
to come and see her on her "at-home" 
day — Monday afternoon — and then we 
went for a short time into her little draw- 
ing-room. She showed me, too, her din- 
ing-room, studio, bedroom, veranda, and 
99 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

the two cats — the big grey "Michelot" and 
the black " Sin." Why he should be called 
"Sin" is not very clear, for he is a neu- 
ter. 

In the studio a little terrier came up to 
us barking. Miss Zimmern's dainty little 
round face is lit by black eyes under 
strongly-marked dark eyebrows, and she 
has very fluffy white hair. A distinguished 
face! The Princess calls her '*Dw" and 
"Ninnili," and they kiss at meeting and 
parting. Miss Zimmern, however, does 
not call the Princess "Dw" — she usually 
speaks to her as '*my dear" or "dear 
child," but always with the "you." She 
gives one the impression of a really mother- 
ly kind of friend. On Monday she is go- 
ing to show me some of the beautiful 
churches — the Duomo and the Palazzo 
Vecchio. The Princess seemed quite anx- 
ious for me to accept the invitation. On 
the way through the town she showed me 

the Magdalen Asylum, where Saxon nurses 
100 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

are employed. At first she very often 
went there, until an order came from the 
Saxon Government forbidding her to do 
so, which deeply offended her. So now she 
has only the ambulanza. Of course, she 
doesn't think of doing the rough work 
there, the lightest part of which is the 
scrubbing of the floors! 



November 4. 

To-day the Princess had her first *' home'* 
fencing lesson. She has a great opinion of 
Signor Giollini, though she's always saying 
what an atrociously ugly old thing he is. 
He arrived at about eight o'clock, and was 
shown into a little boudoir near the "fenc- 
ing-saloon" to put on his costume. Shortly 
afterwards the Princess appeared in her 
white fencing-dress, which consists of knee- 
breeches and a padded coat. She had 
thrown a light dressing-jacket over it, and 

was coquetting with a cigarette. I was in- 
101 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

vited to bring Moni to the fencing-saloon, 
and see her do some passes with Giollini. 
So we went; and the Princess first showed 
us the "pitch," the weapons — rapiers and 
foils — the masks, and then began her dis- 
play with Giollini. He told her what to do, 
and I was struck with her dexterity. She 
has been practising fencing nearly every 
morning for a year and a half, and has 
acquired a certain brilliancy of execution. 
She declares that it was of the greatest as- 
sistance to her, after she broke her leg, in 
restoring the necessary pliancy to the ankle, 
and considers it such an excellent exercise 
in every way that nobody ought to neglect 
it. She recommends it to everyone. It 
improves the general health most wonder- 
fully, she says. 

And now, of course, Moni insists on hav- 
ing a little fencing-dress of black velvet and 
a little rapier, too, so that she can fence 
with Mamma! Except for the shortness 

of her legs, which somewhat spoils the ef- 

102 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

feet, the costume is very becoming to the 
Princess. 

Her opponent is most extraordinary- 
looking. Signor GioUini is in the middle 
fifties, bald, with red moustache and hair; 
he squints, and is indeed most remarkably 
ugly. But his figure is as slender and as 
supple as a boy's. Though he dare not 
permit himself a spare inch of flesh, his 
voice is repulsively oily, like a fat lady's at 
a fair! And his manner to the Princess is 
fawning; yet she plainly likes him, and 
made him stay to breakfast, to Haubold's 
great indignation. Giollini was once a non- 
commissioned officer,* and now lives com- 
fortably enough as the most renowed fenc- 
ing-master in Florence. 

At breakfast the Princess heard that a 
baby had arrived in a peasant's house close 
by. She was instantly electrified, and it 
was settled there and then that we should 
pay mother and child a visit. It was ar- 

* Unteroffisder. 
103 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ranged for the evening, for Moni wanted to 
see the hamhino too, and had to have her 
sleep first. The Princess put on for the 
occasion her most elegant frock, of heavy 
white silk with a silver Grecian border, 
and cut very low, as usual. And so we all 
set off — the Princess, Monica, Haubold, 
My Insignificance, and Bucki, the house- 
cat. Arrived at the house, we ascended a 
narrow staircase and entered a very simple 
but amazingly clean and good-sized room, 
where stood a bed as vast as any we have 
at the villa. The woman lay there with 
her hawhino in her arms — a remarkably 
fine, chubby child, who was duly admired. 
The Princess, who is very knowledgeable 
in such matters, gave the peasant woman a 
great deal of excellent advice, and told her 
the most important things to do. At such 
moments she is kindness itself, and she 
seems to enjoy the whole thing intensely. 
But she is as she is: once the visit is sat- 
isfactorily accomplished, the episode be- 
104 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

comes a thing of the past, and bambino is 
entirely forgotten, until something or other 
shall occur to remind the Princess of his 
existence, when she will immediately be- 
come as enthusiastic about him as she was 
on this, his first appearance in this troub- 
lous world! 

When we returned, Torello was waiting 
in front of the house with his boraccio full 
of eggs and poultry, and was greeted by 
the Princess with visible satisfaction. This 
acquaintance she also made at the ambu- 
lanza, whose presiding genius. Professor 
and Doctor Banzetti, frequently claims her 
services. And one day a young bricklayer 
— this same Torello — ^was brought there, 
having almost lost a finger through blood- 
poisoning. It is to her unremitting care 
that Torello owes the preservation of his 
finger; but it remained so stiff and swollen 
that he had to give up his bricklaying, and 
now he drives a thriving trade in eggs and 

poultry, for which the Princess is among 
105 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

his best customers. Almost every other 
day he arrives with his boraccio and his 
donkey at Villa Montauto. He is quite at 
home here. He puts his donkey in the 
garage, and when he has delivered his 
wares in the kitchen, he goes, by her or- 
ders, to the dining-room, where I am now 
to be found at table with her and Monica; 
for some days ago she requested me to take 
my meals with them for the future. The 
Princess likes his nonchalance, and, as he 
stands before her (wholly at his ease, but 
with all the native deference of the Italian) , 
she has quite long conversations with him, 
and then tells him to go to the kitchen and 
get Rosina to give him something to eat. 
I have seldom seen so cunning a face as 
this young peasant has. Slender and sin- 
ewy, he is the very type of a primitive 
Italian. His stockings are held up by a 
red wool shawl, which is wound round his 
hips, and the sleeves of his gaily-striped 

shirt are usually turned up to the elbows. 
106 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

A gay scarf is draped loosely round his 
neck, and a broad-brimmed hat is natu- 
rally not lacking — the regular Italian work- 
man, in short, so frequently to be seen in 
Germany ! 

On the whole, Torello, with his brown 
face and his dark, shining eyes, is a hand- 
some fellow; but cunning glitters in those 
melting eyes, and slyness puckers the cor- 
ners of that smiling mouth. He is particu- 
larly amiable to Moni — always gives her a 
ride on his donkey, or carries her about in 
his arms. Moni rewards him with the 
frankest affection. In spite of his youth — 
he is only twenty-seven — Torello has long 
been married, and is the father of seven 
children, to one of whom the Princess is 
actually godmother. Though I can't give 
any definite reason for it, the fellow is most 
unsympathetic to me, and I can't at all un- 
derstand the Princess's evident liking for 
him. Where male creatures are concerned, 

she seems to have no perception whatever; 

107 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

all her knowledge of human nature, other- 
wise remarkable, seems to fail her — an ob- 
servation which I have frequently made be- 
fore in such cases. 

Regularly every Thursday an old street- 
singer appears at the villa. He sings to the 
guitar in a cracked tenor, but with great 
power of expression — chiefly old Tuscan 
ritornelli, but also modern songs by Tosti 
and Ferrara. The Princess always goes 
out on the balcony to listen, and so do 
Monica and I. Apparently this is another 
of her "pets"! He certainly cannot com- 
plain of any lack of attention on her part. 
She hangs on his words with an almost 
yearning interest, and often translates and 
explains the songs, which are mostly in 
dialect, to me. Assuredly this is not an 
expensive fancy of hers, for when the bard 
has sung for the ladies' amusement for at 
least half an hour, Monica, by her mother's 
desire, takes him down his reward — ^in the 

shape of a lira! 

108 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

To-night the Princess went off to a party 
en grande toilette. She has a tear-off calen- 
dar in her bedroom, upon which she regu- 
larly sets down her invitations and engage- 
ments. Rarely does she have a blank day. 
When I say, "I hope you will enjoy your- 
self," she unfailingly declares that she is 
going to a dull married couple's or to an 
old lady's, and carefully adds: "Fright- 
fully boring!" But she seems to enjoy the 
boredom fairly well — ^by dint of getting ac- 
customed to it. She never returns hospi- 
talities, especially the more formal ones. 
She scarcely could, indeed, for the accom- 
modation in her household makes it al- 
most impossible even to receive visitors 
here. In the whole overgrown villa there 
is not a single room which the lady of the 
house could well use as a drawing-room. 
The only one that could be thought of in 
such a connection is her own little writing- 
room, and even that has no separate en- 
trance. To reach it, one has first to trav- 
109 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

erse Monica's bedroom, where, without 
even a screen in front of it, stands the 
nursery maid's bed; then one proceeds 
through the Princess's own bedroom, and 
so at last reaches the Httle boudoir. 

When people do come, they have to be 
shown into that wretched dining-room. 
The Princess says she made this arrange- 
ment on purpose, so that she might avoid 
any kind of general hospitality. Her few 
intimates she either takes through her bed- 
room to the little boudoir, or else sees in 
the bedroom itself. She is so free-and- 
easy that she doesn't mind a bit, especially 
as it's her favourite room. Indeed, she 
ought to have lived in the time of Louis 
XIV., who reintroduced the old Roman 
custom of "receiving" in bed and while 
dressing. For she permits herself a degree 
of freedom in her personal habits which does 
not at all contribute towards the servants' 
respect for her. In this connection she is 

amazingly naive, and seems not at all to 
110 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

perceive that it is chiefly her own fault if 
she has endless trouble with her domestics. 
When she had men-servants about her, of 
course it was ever so much worse. 

Fretfully, and yet with an unmistakable 
accent of pride, she told me: "I shall have 
no more men-servants. I've had the most 
frightful trouble with the creatures. Be- 
sides drinking and thieving, I was never 
sure what other horrors there would be. 
After some time they began literally to pur- 
sue me. I actually had a cook, a hideous 
old fellow of about sixty, who ran into my 
room, and tried to make love to me; and 
when I wanted to kick him out, the brute 
began to blackmail me, and said if I didn't 
give him 3,000 lire he'd tell everyone that 
he had been my lover. Of course, I lodged 
an information against him; but as there 
were some stabbing-cases about just then, 
I got scared, and determined to have no 
more men-servants. Giovanni, of whom 

Hedwig has no doubt told you, was cer- 
111 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

tainly a good, useful fellow, and Moni was 
very fond of him. I dismissed him on ac- 
count of drink. Hedwig liked him, and is 
still angry because I discharged him." 

Haubold confirms this, and tells me that 
Giovanni was really an excellent creature, 
but that the Italian servants, particularly 
Rosina, intrigued against him, and got the 
Princess to dismiss him. She has never 
forgiven Rosina for it, she says. And the 
Italians played an abominable trick in in- 
tercepting a letter of Giovanni's to her. 
There had been a frightful scene about it 
in the summer, which had made her quite ill. 

But, indeed, the mistress of the house is 
to be blamed for all this disorder amongst 
the Italian servants. Haubold was fright- 
fully indignant lately because the Princess 
had tickled Severina's cheeks when she 
passed her by on the steps, and she was 
also vexed because, when Gioconda had 
rheumatism, the Princess nursed her and 

massaged her herself. 
112 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

She never calls the Italian girls anything 
but ^"Cara,"" and always gives her orders to 
them in a pleading, instead of a command- 
ing, tone. But even the German ones have 
no cause to complain of any harshness. 
She usually calls the nursemaid "Liesel- 
mann" — ^her name is Liesa Hiirlemann — 
— and Hedwig is always "Hedelmann." 
Moni of course imitates her mamma. But 
the Princess really injures herself when she 
does such things as this. For instance, I 
was in the next room, and heard a tre- 
mendous noise of laughing and talking, 
palpably from at least three women, in 
her bedroom. I entered. Hiirlemann and 
Haubold were, not to put too fine a point 
upon it, simply splitting their sides with 
laughter. The Princess had made a joke, 
and I had to be told it too, so she began 
again: "It was at a masked ball. One 
lady, who was dressed as a Spaniard, was 
asked by a gentleman: ''Beau masque^ I 

suppose you come straight from Madrid.^' 
8 113 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

The lovely lady answered in a fright: 
*Why, can you smell it?' " There was a 
fresh burst of laughter, and I stood there 
feeling like a fool. . . . 

Lately, when the carpets were unpacked, 
we had another display of her incredible 
free-and-easiness. A prayer-carpet was 
taken out, and the Italian workmen made 
some remarks about it, upon which the 
Princess felt herself impelled to explain in 
the most circumstantial manner what it 
was used for; and, not satisfied with that, 
she went on to show them how Moham- 
medans said their prayers. She knelt down 
on the carpet, with her face towards the 
East, lifted her hands on high, palms out- 
wards, then threw herself down on her 
face, which looked very amusing, with her 
slender figure! The workmen were divided 
between laughter and embarrassment, and 
the episode ended amid universal hilarity. 
Naturally enough, "Her Imperial High- 
ness" is forgotten at such moments, and 
114 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

the consequence is that everyone does just 
what he likes, and that no one in the house 
has any respect for the Princess. Unfor- 
tunately, this does not apply to the servants 
alone, but — and this is the important point 
— also to her little daughter. The Princess 
told me very indignantly that King George 
had once said to her that she was risking 
her prestige with her children by her eccen- 
tricities; but I think His old Majesty was 
right. 

I simply cannot describe how difficult all 
the arrangements here make my position 
with the child. Certainly I quickly suc- 
ceeded in making her fond of me. She al- 
ways lets me bathe and dress her now, takes 
her daily walks with me, and learns pretty 
poems out of her countless picture-books, 
which she then proudly recites to her mam- 
ma. When I arrived, little Moni didn't 
know a single rhyme by heart! She had 
picture-books, but nobody had bothered to 

look at them with her. She learns easily, 
115 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

for she is remarkably intelligent; but she is 
full of little naughtinesses, and often shows 
so much cunning that one needs to be very 
much on the alert to get the better of her. 
She frequently learns a rhyme by heart, and 
when she knows it perfectly, intentionally 
puts in some silly, babyish word, and then 
she always says the rhyme with that mis- 
take, so as to annoy her governess and have 
the fun of making her angry. Of course, 
if one does show any vexation, one is done 
for. 

But worst of all for the child is her ex- 
traordinary situation with regard to her 
parents. She has a French animal-book, 
with a picture of a lion and a lioness, and 
this recalled to me a nursery rhyme of 
my childhood, which she picked up very 
quickly : 

" Two lions were watching and watching one day, 
But papa-lion got very tired, they vsay; 
So he turned on his side and he turned him away, 
And manama-lion said, ' Ha ! you're turning away! ' " 
116 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Now when Moni was reciting this verse to 
her mamma, she said it with the following 
variation : 

" A King and a Queen were watching one day, 
But the poor King, he got very tired, they say; 
So he turned on his side, and he turned him away, 
And the Queen said, ' Ha-ha ! so you're turning 
away ! * 

What on earth is a poor governess to do ? 
One's work is simply endless — one doesn't 
know where to begin. What an effect these 
early days will have upon the child in 
after-life! The older she grows, the worse 
it will be. Often the task seems beyond 
me, especially as the Princess, in her crazy 
adoration for her darling, never thinks of 
correcting her, finds an excuse for the 
naughtiest things she does, and simply 
overwhelms her with exclamations of en- 
chantment at her beauty. Little Monica 

* " Ein Lowenpaar liegt auf der Lauer, 

Das Warten wird ihm schliesslich sauer; 
Der Lowe legt sich auf den Bauch hin. 
Die Lowin denkt: du legst dich auch hin." 
117 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

is much too clever not to understand all 
this. The many photographs, the thou- 
sands of post-cards with her little picture 
on them, which the Princess sends all over 
the place, naturally do not escape Monica's 
attention. Sometimes she stands proud- 
ly before the glass and declares: "When 
Moni is photographed she looks like this 
. . . ;" and with that she puts on her 
photographic face, usually a grotesque 
smile, with which no photographer would 
think of taking her. But it all shows that 
the child is conscious of her power, and she 
makes use of this to torment and tyrannize 
over her mother and all her surroundings. 
It is clear that she must lose much of her 
natural sweetness under these conditions, 
and no one — not even the mother — gains 
anything by the spoiling, for not a soul 
among them ever thinks of teaching the 
child to show any consideration for other 
people, so that Monica is at present simply a 

little egoist, without a single sign of any un- 
118 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CfflLD 

selfish emotion. The desire to be sweet and 
kind has never yet been awakened in the 
much-to-be-pitied Httle creature, so that 
she has become a small tyrant. All this is 
of the highest importance, and every day 
that is lost is a separate injury to the child's 
soul. But I think that I could easily have 
found out the way to her heart, and I 
should have perfect confidence in myself; 
but nothing is of any use while the mother's 
influence is prevalent. That much is cer- 
tain. No system will have any effect upon 
Monica unless she can be taken away from 
Montauto. If only the Princess would 
agree to give her up! She did say to me 
to-day that she was very much pleased 
with me and my methods, and that I abso- 
lutely must stay with Moni. . . . With all 
my heart, but not here in Montauto! 



119 



CHAPTER VIII 

November 9. 

This morning I went shopping with the 

Princess, and then we went to GiUi's, a very 

fashionable cafe, and drank our coffee 

and ate some dehcious Paris brioches at 

Httle marble tables, the Princess herself 

fetching the cakes from the counter. The 

automobile came to take us home, and 

Moni was very naughty at lunch. As Gio- 

conda was still in bed with rheumatism, 

Haubold waited at table, and it was easy 

to see how much she disliked having to 

serve me. From the beginning I have 

been troubled by her senseless jealousy, 

which has daily increased as the Princess 

and Monica get to like me better. It seems 

to me that she is an incarnation here of the 

hostility to my mission; and, as a matter 

of fact, it signifies more to her than to any- 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

one else whether Monica is given up or 
not, for once the child leaves Montauto, 
she will be superfluous. Here it is, I think, 
that my greatest danger lies; and so I may 
as well throw a little more light upon her. 
She was, originally, like myself, appointed 
by the Court. Before Monica's birth she 
arrived at Lindau with the midwife (also 
appointed by the Court), and so may be 
said to have taken care of little Pia Monica 
from the very first moment. But the Prin- 
cess found her domineering ways and her 
tempers very tiresome, though, like a clever 
diplomatist, she desired to get rid of her 
politely. She therefore wrote to the Court 
" that the little Princess was getting bigger, 
and that it would be necessary to pay some 
attention to the question of religion, Hau- 
bold was Evangelical, and she would like 
now to have a Catholic nurse." I needn't 
say she wasn't really troubling much about 
religion — she said that because she knew it 

would have the desired effect in Dresden; 
121 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

and, as a matter of fact, Haubold was re- 
called. In her place came Fraulein Muth. 

After her inglorious departure, and dur- 
ing the ensuing conflict with the Court, 
Haubold offered her services to the Prin- 
cess again. And she, inconsequent as she 
ever is, re-engaged her, at her own ex- 
pense, for Monica. But again she wearied 
of the w^oman's tempers, and sent her, on 
unlimited sick-leave, to Bautzen, and wrote 
to the mother that Doctor Kreyl, the assist- 
ant-surgeon in the ambulanza (and also 
the Princess's family doctor), had told her 
that Fraulein Haubold's health was by no 
means unimpaired. (For that, Haubold 
hates Dr. Kreyl with a deadly hatred,) But 
after a month she was back again in Flor- 
ence — and with the Princess, who saw no 
way out of it. 

But one must record in Haubold's favour 

that, despite her precarious health, she is 

the only person who keeps the household 

together. She is simply indefatigable, but, 
122 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

at the same time, inexplicably jealous of 
any and every woman who comes in con- 
tact with the Princess, and for whom she 
shows the faintest liking. One can scarce- 
ly mention any woman except the female 
servants — certainly no intimate acquaint- 
ance of hers — about whom Haubold has 
not something disagreeable to say. Her 
feeling has something distinctly unhealthy 
about it. I don't know how it was that I 
came in for the honour of being told that 
"she simply could not leave her!" "She 
would never go away, or allow herself to be 
dismissed. She would always come back 
— always be ready to perish for the Prin- 
cess. Of course, she knew that you could- 
n't depend upon her. But it was no good 
— that was how it was with her, and there 
was no use talking." I must say it was 
rather frightening to hear the little passion- 
ate creature talking like that. 

The Princess told me of another occa- 
sion on which she had wished to dismiss 
123 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Haubold; but when the latter heard the 
first hint of it, she flung herself in convul- 
sions at her mistress's feet, which made the 
Princess feel quite ill, and the outcome was 
that Haubold stayed. Somehow she seems 
to me like the evil genius of the household. 
Once I came upon her with her head in 
her hand, groaning to herself, " Malatesc^a, 
malatesc^a!" Like all half -educated peo- 
ple, she loves to express herself in Italian, 
which those who know declare she pro- 
nounces shockingly, and with all sorts of 
absurd Saxon idioms. I asked her what 
"malates^a" meant. 

"Unlucky," she cried, smiling amid her 
tears. 

"But how are you unlucky .5^'* 

She wasn't able to say. 

The Princess calls her "hysterical," and 
says she pities little Monica, who suffers 
most from her. But as to changing the 
condition of affairs — she doesn't seem to 

have the nerve for that. 

124 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

This afternoon, she took me into her 
study with her, and begged me to help her 
with her correspondence. On her birth- 
day — September 2 — she had received from 
"Louisa-maniacs" in Saxony no less than 
2,000 presents, and letters and post-cards 
besides ; and she makes a point of acknowl- 
edging every single thing. During her 
stay in Munich she ordered several thou- 
sand post-card photographs of herself and 
Monica, and now she has taken a fancy to 
direct every one of these herself, in acknowl- 
edgment. I had also delivered faithfully 
the millions of "greetings" with which I 
had been entrusted on leaving Saxony, and 
she had received them with enthusiasm. 

So now we were to share the work. I 
had all the letters and post-cards before 
me. I read out the addresses to her (and 
put them down myself in alphabetical or- 
der in a special note-book) while she wrote 
on the back, under the picture, a word of 

thanks, and her own or Monica's name. 
125 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Then I took the inscribed post-cards and 
blotted them, for she writes very black, and 
we didn't want any ugly smudges. 

Letters and cards still come daily from 
her Saxon home — almost all from so-called 
"small folk." She is so accustomed to 
these demonstrations that they can hardly 
be of much importance to her in them- 
selves, but she has her own reasons for care- 
fully fostering sentiment — no doubt with 
the idea that by this means she may form 
a party in Saxony to support her plans and 
desires. 

They are a quaint lot, these "Louisa- 
maniacs"! I could never have believed in 
such sentimentality, hysteria, and generally 
exaggerated nonsense if I had not seen it 
myself in the letters they write. It is as- 
tounding, to say the least of it. The sug- 
gestions they make! 

I have already hinted that the Princess 
herself rather makes fun of her adorers, 

some of whom do actually belong to the so- 

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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

called creme de la creme of Dresden. Of 
these letter- writers quite one of the most 
prominent is a very young girl. The Prin- 
cess says every minute, "Oh, here's little 

A again!" or, "That comes from little 

A !" Or else, "As I hear from little 

A in Dresden." . . . And one day a 

box of carnations came from Dresden — 

"little A " again. Another day there 

arrived a telegram from "little A ," so 

absurdly sentimental that the Princess first 
read it to me melodramatically, and then 
threw it into the fire, saying, "That's going 
/oo far!" 

Little A evidently has a wild adora- 
tion for her, and writes to her every day. 
Why, she actually says " Du'* to the Prin- 
cess! I imagine the young goose implored 
her to let herself be called " Du" — and she 
didn't know how to get out of it; but when 
one thinks that even the elderly Miss Zim- 
mern, her most intimate friend, who kisses 

her at meeting and parting, has too much 

127 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

tact to return the Royal ^''Du^' it's pretty 
plain that this "flapper" has lost her head 
a little — and it's no less comical when one 

realizes that "little A " is the daughter 

of a Town Councillor * at Dresden. 

Of course I do not mean that all the 
letter and post-card writers are of this idi- 
otic type. There are many, especially 
among the poorer classes, who are abso- 
lutely honest and sincere about it. It is as 
funny as it's pathetic to see how the people 
long to console "Louise of the Saxons"; 
and to read all the good advice and offers 
of mediation between her and the King. 
To me it was especially interesting to ob- 
serve how in nearly all these artless, badly- 
spelt compositions, the writers beg and 
pray that the Princess will never let herself 
be parted from her youngest child. Some 
even accuse her of being a heartless mother 
for so much as thinking of selling her nest- 
ling for filthy lucre! The approach of 

* Kommerzienrat, 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Christmas has had a marked influence on 
the new influx of letters — ^they are all full 
of "peace upon earth." Thus, to-day, 
the post brought, amongst many harmless 
greetings, some with serious proposals for 
reconciliation, which she gave me to read. 
For instance, an old shop-woman from 
Dresden wrote an interminable description 
of her correspondence with the highest cir- 
cles, telling the Princess that she had seen 
her sons in the Royal Chapel, and had in- 
stantly written to the King, and pointed out 
to him that, now Christmas was coming, he 
must be unconditionally reconciled to his 
wife, and let her come home to her children 
again. And then she went on to explain 
to him that there was " no real harm in the 
Princess, but that she had only meant to 
hoax him a little. It had been a little in- 
cautious of her, certainly, to show herself 
so publicly on the Riviera with the 'teach- 
er,' and, as a matter of fact, she had writ- 
ten to her there, to beg her not to go out 
9 129 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

walking with him. But, anyhow, the King 
must overlook this little joke, and now, 
after this letter, everything would go right, 
and the family would all be happily united 
again at Christmas." In conclusion, the 
worthy lady begged for a suitable situation 
as companion for her "educated daugh- 
ter." Whether she added the same request 
to her letter to the King, she unfortunately 
didn't say. 

Another communication was more com- 
prehensive. It contained a number of 
closely written sheets. 

"Oh! please, dear Frau Kremer," said 
the Princess, "do be very kind and read 
this through while Moni is asleep, and tell 
me to-night what it's all about. I can see 
that it's a reconciliation-proposal in verse, 
but — hrrr — I can't read it through. Do 
just run over it, so that I may know what 
the man's talking about." 

Well, I actually read it all through! 

Eight-and-forty cantos, every one with sev- 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

eral verses. It was no light task. The 
author signs himself Lumen de Ccelo, and 
says, in the covering-letter, that he saw the 
Princess lately in Munich, and there and 
then made up his mind to help her if he 
possibly could. Will she then arrange so 
that the enclosed reconciliation-proposal 
may reach the Crown Prince,^ . . . Now 
we come to the "proposal" itself, which is 
set forth in grandiloquent ponderous verse, 
a la Hyronimus Jobs. 

The author sometimes addresses the 
Crown Prince as "Honoured George," and 
sometimes as " My dear George," and begs 
him to bring his parents together again, he 
being the only person who can accomplish 
this difficult task. But he must proceed 
very secretly and cautiously, and write 
three letters, one to the Pope, one to the 
German, and one to the Austrian, Em- 
peror. He dictates the letters to him; 
and those to the two monarchs are in 

verse, while that to the Holy Father is in 
131 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

prose — ^very, very wordy and irresistibly 
coniic. 

I gave the letter back to the Princess. 

"Well," she said, "what does the man 
want? Have you read it all?" 

I gave in my report. The result was, 
"Into the fire with it!" and the Princess 
threw the invaluable Lumen de Ccelo into 
the crackling flames. 

This afternoon, in her boudoir, the Prin- 
cess began to speak of Haubold again, and 
told me decisively that she was determined 
to get rid of her. "She takes too much 
upon herself, and has a bad influence upon 
the child, whom she is making dreadfully 
neurotic. She is so terribly capricious — 
one moment she is beating Moni, the next 
simply smothering her with kisses." She 
would have gone on, only we were inter- 
rupted. 

In the evening I was sitting in my room, 

wrapped in my crimson dressing-gown, and 

writing, when suddenly the door opened, 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

and in rustled the white silk tea-gown with 
the silver border! The Princess began 
again to talk about Haubold, and told me, 
moreover, to my great satisfaction, that she 
was delighted with me in every respect, and 
would entrust the future education of her 
child to no one but myself. 

We chatted for a little while of this, that, 
and the other, when suddenly the door 
opened, and in came Haubold. Somewhat 
impertinently, she rather screamed than 
said: "Oh, so here is Her Imperial High- 
ness! Dear me! I've been looking for 
Her Imperial Highness all over the house. 
Who would have expected to find Her 
Imperial Highness sitting in this room.? 
Rosina is looking for Her Imperial High- 
ness, too; she wants to give in her ac- 
counts." 

Any other lady would have cut this out- 
break short with, "Very well; I am coming 
immediately." But the Princess blushed 

violently, jumped up as if she had been 
133 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

caught in a misdemeanour, said a hasty 
good-night to me, and followed Haubold 
as meekly as a school-girl. Wonders will 
never cease! 



134 



CHAPTER IX 

November 11. 

I AM uneasy about Monica. I have often 

taken her down to my room, and observed 

— at first with a certain satisfaction — her 

love for perfumes and scented soaps. When 

she comes into the room her first rush is to 

the washstand and toilet-table, where she 

smells at the soap and the eau-de-cologne 

flask with delight, until I make her happy 

by sprinkling her handkerchief and little 

hands with a few drops of the scent. But 

her craze for benzine really frightens me. 

If she can get hold of the benzine-bottle, 

she sticks her little nose into it with positive 

ecstasy; and lately when I took it away 

from her, she flung her arms and legs about 

me with passionate shrieks, crying that she 

must have the bottle again. I thought it 
135 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

was mere naughtiness, and refused to give 
it to her. But she was near me to-day 
while I was cleaning my gloves with ben- 
zine, and she picked up every little bit of 
cotton-wool which I threw away, held it 
passionately to her nose and mouth, and 
breathed in the scent so greedily that I 
hastily took them all away from her; but 
she managed to get hold of them again. 

When I turned round and looked at her, 
I saw the same expression on her little face 
as there was that night v^^hen she wanted to 
be stroked to sleep. Her limbs were twitch- 
ing convulsively, and when I took the cot- 
ton-wool away again, she uttered a really 
piercing shriek. 

It is always difficult to calm her. Her 

nervous temperament is over-developed, 

and therefore I have begged the Princess 

not to continue giving her wine at dinner. 

Wine is sheer poison for a child of scarcely 

four, especially when she has neurotic 

tendencies. 

136 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

For my part, I think that the addition of 
coffee and tea to her milk, no matter in how 
small a quantity, is unnecessary, if not act- 
ually harmful; but the Princess, who has 
a great opinion of her own medical knowl- 
edge, sees no danger in it, and therefore 
the coffee and tea are to continue. Other- 
wise the child is well and sensibly fed, and 
not at all given to sweet-eating. She actu- 
ally despises cakes. The one thing she oc- 
casionally fancies is a piece of milk choco- 
late. 



Lately, on the promenade, Moni v^as 
spoken to by a distinguished-looking old 
lady — Lady Paget. She is the widow of an 
English Ambassador, but is herself of Ger- 
man birth — namely, a Countess von Hoh- 
enthal and Bergen, a close connection of 
the Saxon Minister's. She belongs to the 
Princess's circle, though she is not exactly 

an intimate. Lady Paget is a tall woman, 
137 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

with a fresh, handsome face, and such an 
elastic, upright bearing, that no one would 
guess her to be seventy -five. 

She has a beautifully-situated and very 
lovely castle on Bellosguardo, and is con- 
sidered very eccentric. She likes to have 
her skirts made so as to show her pretty 
shoes, which she manufactures entirely 
herself. She goes in for other eccentrici- 
ties besides, has hypnotic seances, with her 
maid as medium; and reigns like a Prin- 
cess in her charming, comfortable home. 
She is a noted animal-lover, and has quite 
a menagerie of dogs, cats, and pigeons. 

It was on this subject that she stopped 
Moni to speak. She is interested in the 
child, but deplores the fact that her mother 
has never tried to awaken in her any sense 
of duty, or any feeling for anybody but her- 
self. Therefore she wants to make the 
little Princess a present of a dog, and we 
spent our time to-day in making acquain- 
tance with Moni's future pet. Lady Paget 
138 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

showed her all her animals, but Moni soon 
got tired of them, and I had some difficulty 
in inducing her to preserve a semblance of 
good manners. 

The dog, a little Chow, called "Schui," 
arrived soon after us at the villa, and en- 
livened ( ?) the house with his barking, 
snapping, and whining. 

In the afternoon, the Princess begged me 
to help her again with her 2,000 post-cards. 
It is quite an entertaining employment. I 
admire her energy in undertaking it her- 
self. Popularity is no joke; it takes up a 
lot of time. Prince Bismarck, who also 
made a point of answering "greetings," 
made the task a little easier for himself by 
having a universally applicable phrase, 
written by his own hand, lithographed in 
large quantities. To that only the ad- 
dresses had to be added, and those were 
not written by his own hand. But the 
Princess does it all herself, as I have de- 
scribed. They are, in a manner of speak- 
139 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ing, her "hours of meditation" — those in 
which she writes picture post-cards. To- 
day, another very funny thing arrived. 

"Look here, Frau Kremer," said the 
Princess, showing me two quires of paper, 
written over in a woman's hand. "Here's 
a letter from a schoolmaster's wife in Mah- 
ren. She has been so moved by my ad- 
ventures that she has written a little story 
about them; and not only that, but she's 
actually had it printed under the title of 
'The Golden Cage.' She begs me to ac- 
cept her little tale, and so on, and so on. 
Will you be very good and read the thing 
out to me, and in the meantime I'll go on 
writing addresses.^ We may as well see 
what it's about." 

So I read it out. Good heavens! such 

sickly sentimentality! Lida, a beautiful 

bird, lived in splendour and happiness in 

a golden cage. Lida had five little ones, 

whom she fed and loved; but then came 

the decoy-bird. Lida struggled, but was at 
140 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

last overcome by the arts of the seducer. 
She left her five little ones, and flew away 
with the betrayer. . . . 

It is written in a style of cloying sweet- 
ness, which is enough to make one sick. I 
cleared my throat and stopped. The Prin- 
cess was writing, with an immovable face, 
"Louise" and "Heartfelt thanks," so I 
went on reading. 

"It's simply sickening!" she interrupted 
at last. I agreed with alacrity, and asked 
if I should read any more. "Yes, please, 
if it isn't too much to ask you"; so on I 
went. The sequel was in the second quire 
of paper. 

"Lida soon grows weary, and sinks half- 
dead and utterly exhausted on to the branch 
of a tree. The decoy-bird flies away. 
Now she thinks of her forsaken little ones, 
and rues her flight, for freedom has not 
brought her the dreamed-of happiness. 
Now she wishes herself back in the golden 

cage." 

141 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Such was the brilliant conclusion of this 
fairy-tale. 

"Thank goodness, that's over!" said the 
Princess ; and she took the papers and flung 
them into the fire. 

But it did not prevent her from wri- 
ting immediately afterwards a few grateful 
words to the authoress, who will never 
know the terrible sentence which had been 
pronounced on the "Sweet Lida." By 
way of a salve to her conscience, the Prin- 
cess said, while I was blotting the post- 
card: "If only people wouldn't write about 
things they know nothing of ! A production 
like that is positively insolent." 



After the card-writing to-day, Haubold 

let off some of her pent-up rage against me. 

I have already said that she is jealous of 

every woman whom the Princess seems to 

like at all, and especially anyone who is 

superior to herself in education. She never 
142 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

has a good word to say of Miss Zimmern, 
but always declares she is only making use 
of the Princess. The real reason of her 
wTath is that Miss Zimmern once refused 
to dine with the Princess if Haubold was 
to be at table. 

With the customary sans gene of the 
household, I believe she actually had dined 
on one such occasion. Moreover, in the 
old days, Haubold, when she drove out 
with the Princess, used to sit beside her in 
the front seat, and Miss Zimmern pointed 
out that, if only for the sake of appearances, 
Her Imperial Highness ought to be more 
ceremonious. So Haubold had to sit on 
the back seat, and when the Princess first 
commanded her to do so, she was so fu- 
rious that she got out of the carriage. 

She seems to consider me the rising star, 
and said to me, very bitterly: 

"Why, I believe you're really more with 

the Princess than with Monica. Fancy if 

the Court knew that its chosen governess 
143 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

was stuck in Her Imperial Highness' s room 
all day!" 

But slie didn't know whom she had to 
deal with! We had an animated discus- 
sion, which ended in her bursting into con- 
vulsive sobs, taking back every word she 
had said, and imploring me to forgive her 
and her ridiculous jealousy. She was *' too, 
too fond of the Princess." 

We can't do anything with Schui. He 
never stops howling and whining. Scold- 
ing does no good, and he will have to be 
taken to a remote part of the house if we 
are ever to get any sleep at all. If we 
could only manage to get rid of him, 
politely, somehow or other! 



November 11. 

To-day I really did go to Church, and 

the Princess walked with me into town. 

We went as far as the Church together, and 

then she betook herself to the Baths. Our 
144 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

way led us down by the Porta Romana, an 
old Roman gate, where usually stand a 
number of donkey-carts, and where pedlars 
and peasants crowd beneath vast green um- 
brellas, make a great deal of noise, and kick 
up quantities of dust. The Porta Romana 
leads straight to the middle of the town. 

The Princess was in a confidential mood 
again, this time about her money-affairs. 
In spite of the 40,000 marks a year which 
the Court allows her, she complains of be- 
ing constantly in difficulties. She is think- 
ing of getting rid of the automobile because 
it is too expensive. Moreover, she is anx- 
ious about the future. If, for any reason, 
she were to lose her allowance from the 
Court, she would be simply '' vis-a-vis du 
rien," especially as her parents obstinately 
refuse to give her any support whatever. 
When, after the Muth-affair, her allowance 
was stopped for a time, some good friends 
collected for her 7,000 marks (or lire — I 

don't know which); but these she immedi- 
10 145 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ately paid back as soon as her money be- 
gan to come in again — not without deeply 
offending her friends, but she can't take 
presents, she says. 

Then she began to talk about Monica's 
education, and out came the cat from the 
bag! She wants to dismiss Haubold, and 
I, instead of remaining in the service of the 
Court, am to enter her service, and bring 
up the little Princess in Florence. 

" Do you not intend, then, to give her up .? " 
She gave an evasive answer, and over- 
whelmed me with charming speeches of 
every kind; but she then appeared to think 
she had given herself away, and again de- 
clared emphatically that she did mean to 
give up Monica. In any case, Haubold 
would have to go when the child went. 
She intended, she said, to arrange herself 
that my position at Court should be per- 
manent, and be made agreeable to me in 
every possible way; in short, she promised 

all sorts of fine things, which I know be- 
146 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

forehand that, even with the best inten- 
tions, she is not in a position to carry out. 
But I thanked her and said that, as I had 
now been with her nearly a fortnight, it 
was time for me to report myself to the 
Court, which I had not yet done. She 
hastily cut me short, and said I needn't do 
that, for at the Munich meeting she had 
promised General von Criegern to send a 
report herself. I did not commit myself in 
any way, but I made up my own mind to 
write my own report to the General, which 
is my clear duty, after all. I shan't make 
any secret of it, though — I shall show her 
my letter before I send it. 

In the Church, no clergyman made his 
appearance to read Mass. I waited about 
an hour! Yet there are any quantity of 
priests in Florence. It was difficult to 
feel devotional in such circumstances, and 
I left for home, meeting little Moni at the 
Porta Romana. She was coming to meet 

me, with Haubold and the lady's maid. 
147 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

She literally jumped for joy when she saw 
me, and proudly took possession of my 
prayer-book. 

The Princes^ had asked Miss Zimmern 
to lunch, and I "assisted," by her express 
desire. I feel more and more attracted by 
Miss Zimmern's personality — it is so gen- 
tle, yet so strong. She seems to be, as it 
were, the Princess's guardian angel — a 
true, motherly friend, just what she needs. 
The only pity is that Miss Zimmern is not 
quite woman of the world enough for the 
part. She rarely leaves her studio, and 
beholds the Princess and her life, so to 
speak, from on high, thus falling short in 
that daily knowledge and constant influ- 
ence which come with perfect intimacy. 
But any influence she has is, so far as I 
have seen, entirely for good. I don't be- 
lieve she has a single one of the arriere- 
pensees which Haubold attributes to her; 
for Miss Zimmern can hardly be dazzled 

by a theatre-ticket or two, which is all she 
148 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ever gets from the Princess, especially as 
the latter sometimes makes demands upon 
her which would certainly not be repaid in 
that way. The two are very different in 
character, and this probably accounts for 
their mutual liking, which on the Princess's 
side is most outspoken, and on Miss Zim- 
mern's somewhat reserved. 

This afternoon Her Imperial Highness 
went out driving with Miss Zimmern, so I 
had my time to myself, and spent it exclu- 
sively in the company of my friend Bucki, 
who strolled into my room through the 
window. He sometimes enjoys a successful 
mouse-hunt here, while I, wrapped in my 
travelling-rug, sit comfortably ensconced 
by the blazing fire. When he's tired of the 
chase, he leaps upon my lap, and purrs and 
"makes a back," wanting me to stroke 
him. Then he settles down beside me on 
the arm of the chair, and my thoughts fly 
over the Alps and far away, to my dear 

ones at home. 

149 



CHAPTER X 

November 12. 

There is very little difference between Sun- 
days and weekdays at Montauto. WeVe 
been busy the whole week with the final 
arrangement of the things from Salzburg, 
yet the house still seems empty. 

When Signor Payer came to lunch to- 
day, he couldn't find a place for his hat and 
stick, and then had to be shown straight 
into the dining-room, since, as I have said, 
we don't possess a drawing-room. 

Signor Payer, one of the Princess's few 

masculine acquaintances, is, as his name 

implies, of German origin, but a regular 

Italian all the same, who can't speak a 

word of his own language, though his 

French is charming, so he and I get on all 

right together. 

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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

He is the Director of the Palazzo Pitti 
Collection. His family was for genera- 
tions in the service of the Grand Dukes of 
Tuscany, so for this reason alone he is a 
devoted friend of the Princess, though since 
the establishment of the kingdom of Italy, 
and the consequent transfer of the treas- 
ures of the Palazzo Pitti, he no longer repre- 
sents the Grand Duke of Tuscany, but the 
King of Italy. I envy him the care of those 
precious legacies of the Medicean age, the 
masterpieces of Giovanni da Bologna and 
Benvenuto Cellini. He is a handsome old 
gentleman, the father of two grown-up 
daughters. 

Signor Payer said he would undertake 
to guide us upon an expedition which we 
had planned for this afternoon to Poggio a 
Cajano, an old Medicean castle, some miles 
from Florence. Even Moni was to give 
up her afternoon sleep and join the party. 
But we had scarcely left the last houses of 

Florence behind us, when her little head 

151 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

fell against my shoulder, and, nestled In 
my arms, she slept soundly until just be- 
fore our arrival. 

The castle stands high above a village 
of the same name. We entered the park, 
where there are glorious groups of old 
trees, and where Marechal Niel roses 
flourish luxuriantly, climbing up the ter- 
races which lead to the castle. The castle 
itself, an old building with a famous six- 
teenth-century frieze, passed from the 
hands of the Medici into those of the Grand 
Dukes of Tuscany. The Princess's own 
grandfather was very fond of it, and did a 
great deal towards the laying-out of the 
grounds. It now belongs to the King of 
Italy. We didn't go into the castle, but 
passed through an open colonnade beside 
it into the huge park which lies behind. 

I have never see anything so beautiful 

as it was in its fresh verdure, with gigantic 

oak-trees all round it. It seemed to me 

like a fairy palace — this quiet old place, 
152 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

with its beautifully-kept grounds ; and I 
could scarcely believe that it was the 
middle of November, as we stood there 
in gleaming sunshine amidst the almost 
spring-like foliage. The illusion was com- 
pleted by the thousands of marguerites, 
looking up in crimson glory from the emer- 
ald grass. These marguerites are not in 
the least like the ox-eyes, their pretty sis- 
ter-flowers which deck our German mead- 
ows in spring. The tall Southern beauties 
voluptuously flaunted their sumptuous star- 
like blossoms, and in a few minutes we had 
filled our arms with them. 

At the next turning we met the automo- 
bile, and then began the most beautiful 
and interesting part of our excursion — ^the 
drive through the immense park, which the 
former proprietor had laid out in German 
fashion to please his consort. He wanted 
it to remind his dear lady of her German 
home, so here, under Italian skies, flourish 

all our familiar and beloved native trees. 
153 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Our kind cicerone, Signor Payer, had ar- 
ranged for a guide through the labyrinthine 
paths, so a brown-skinned peasant sat be- 
side the chauffeur, and told him how to go. 
The extent of the park may be guessed at 
by the fact that it took us about twenty-five 
minutes at a good pace to drive right 
through. I shall never forget that day, for 
we seemed to pass like lightning from Italy 
to Germany. There we were — in Italy — 
driving between meadows in which sheep 
were grazing, and through avenues of limes 
and beeches! 

"One would think one was just outside 
Dresden, wouldn't one.^" said the Prin- 
cess, who evidently divined what I was 
feeling, and who is herself a great admirer 
of Saxon scenery. 

Then came a charming variety in the 

shape of numerous little streams, crossed 

by tall bridges, and then little temples and 

kiosks, in the taste of the last century, 

peeping out between trees and bushes. 
154 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

It was already getting dark when we 
came on to the road again. The sun was 
setting, and the brilHant blue of the sky 
was gradually changing — first into violet, 
and then into a very tender mauve, which 
got paler and paler, until it was replaced by 
the most exquisite dim lilacs, greens, yel- 
lows, and rose colours. 

The distant chain of the Apennines stood 
out in glorious purple against the magic of 
that sky. But gradually the colours faded, 
and soon all was reduced to the faintest 
azure, while the silver sickle of the moon 
glimmered out in virginal beauty. Dark 
cypresses stood like spectres by the road- 
side; the white walls of the houses reflected 
the moonlight here and there. ... As if 
in a dream, we drove on silently. My 
thoughts went back to the weeks before I 
came here, and it seemed so strange that 
on this fairy-like evening, I should be 
driving along beside the much-worshipped 

Princess Louise of Tuscany, with the sleep- 
155 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ing Monica between us, nestled against my 
breast! I was almost glad to find we were 
near Florence, for I felt as if a spell were 
falling upon me. We drove over the bridge 
of tlie Arno, and soon reached the Palazzo 
Pitti, where Signor Payer left us, and then, 
on the wings of the wind, through the Porta 
Romana, up Bellosguardo, and back to the 
Villa Montauto. 

Unforgettable! unforgettable! this unique 
and beautiful day. Amid all the crowding 
new impressions, it was, so to speak, the first 
time that my soul had communed with itself. 



November 13. 

" Oh! my dear little Kremerlein," said the 
Princess, when I told her of Schui's mis- 
deeds. "Do help us to get rid of him 
politely! He doesn't suit us a bit, and 
Moni won't look at him!" 

Chance came to our assistance, for in the 

afternoon Lady Paget's cook appeared with 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

a note, which said that Schui had been her 
special pet, and she was most anxious to 
know how he was getting on. The joy of 
the rotund little person — a German, by the 
way — was overwhelming when, with some 
words of excuse to Lady Paget, we gave 
her back her beloved Schui. Our own joy 
was not inferior! And so this little worry 
ended in general satisfaction. 

The Princess is really enchantingly kind 
to me. What is her purpose.^ Can she 
possibly hope to alienate me from the 
Court.? A delusion! I would rather be 
an emissary from Dresden any day than a 
dependant of the Countess Montignoso! 

I was invited to lunch with Miss Zim- 
mern to-day. The Princess took me there, 
and then left me alone with her. Our orig- 
inal intention was to do some sight-seeing 
together, but it was a horrible day, so we 
we stayed at home and talked for hours on 
the absorbing topic of the Princess and 

Monica. We hadn't quite finished lunch 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

when Her Imperial Highness suddenly re- 
appeared. She had been downstairs in 
the ambulanza, and had come up to develop 
a very clever, but most startling, theory 
upon the connexion between lupus and 
tuberculosis bacilli. She wouldn't have 
any lunch, said she must go straight home, 
but I was to stay here quietly until three or 
four o'clock, and then get the "skinny Pie- 
trino" to drive me back to Montauto. I 
have an idea that she specially arranged 
this interview with Miss Zimmern as a sort 
of "feeler" for me. Her idea seems to be 
to proceed somewhat in this fashion: 

She will tell the Court that she is very 
much pleased with me, and is quite willing 
to entrust me with Monica's future educa- 
tion, but it must be here in Italy. Well, the 
trouble will be to get my consent to that, 
and I do not intend to give it. Moreover, 
I told Miss Zimmern quite frankly that in 
Monica's interests alone I could not under- 
take the responsibility of her education in 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Montauto. Germany would be a very dif- 
ferent thing. 

At the bottom of my heart, I still cherish 
the hope that the Princess will see for her- 
self how much the best it would be for the 
child to entrust her permanently to my 
care; and I do rejoice to think that, after a 
mere fortnight's experience, she has already 
told me something very like it in so many 
words. She said so again to-day — said 
how glad she was that I had just the well- 
balanced character which she considered 
essential to her darling's edification, and 
added that she knew no one else of whom 
she could say so much. Thus I have no 
reason to be dissatisfied. But she is so 
enigmatic! She said also to-day that she 
only hoped the Dresden Court would grant 
her request that I should go as soon as pos- 
sible to the Royal residence with the child. 
She would do everything she could for me, 
she said, and would see that I was properly 

rewarded for my trouble. 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Assuredly that speech does not represent 
her real point of view. I am more and 
more convinced that she will try to keep me 
in Montauto as long as she possibly can, 
so as to put off the decisive deed to the last 
moment. She is so full of contradictions 
that it is utterly impossible to know which 
is her real intention, and which, so to 
speak, the decoy-duck of an intention. . . . 

The weather remained uncertain, so di- 
rectly after our coffee I drove up to Mon- 
tauto, and was immediately packed off 
again with Moni in the automobile — the 
Princess wanted to take a little drive into 
the country with us. We drove along nar- 
row, stony roads, most unpropitious for 
rubber-tyres, between vineyards and or- 
chards, and whole tracts of vegetables ! We 
passed through several villages. All the 
women and girls, even all the children, have 
the same employment in these parts — 
straw-plaiting. We went nowhere that we 

did not see them busy at it. I needn't say 

IGO 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

they all sit in front of their houses, or stand 
in groups, and gossip unceasingly. It is 
here that the renowned Tuscan straw-hats 
are made. I wanted to get a couple for 
my two girls, and the Princess instantly 
offered to drive out with me, some day 
soon, to Scandicci, where she knows a fam- 
ily whose female members are occupied in 
straw-plaiting; and I might order them 
there, she says, for by going straight to the 
fountain-head, I should get them much 
cheaper than in Florence. . . . Monica 
went to sleep again in the automobile. 
When we came back, the Princess, though 
she had been out all day, left the house 
again. She is extraordinarily restless; she 
seems unable to keep quiet for a minute. 



November 14. 

This morning I went with Monica to the 

Ponte Vecchio, the famous two-piled bridge 

over the Arno. The lower part is taken up 
11 161 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

with jewellers' shops, which stand along 
both sides of the bridge itself, while the 
top portion is a passage — ^not a public thor- 
oughfare — leading from the Palazzo Pitti 
to the Ufhzi. Thence we went to the C as- 
cine, which are the Florentine Hyde Park, 
Thiergarten (Berlin), or Grosse Garten 
(Dresden). Here, on the Lung' Arno, one 
sees the fashionable world of Florence dis- 
playing itself in smart carriages. The 
Princess came with us. From here — it 
is the spot where Dante first saw his 
Beatrice — one looks down on all the beauty 
of Florence. The natural beauty, that 
is, for one can only enjoy it when one 
gets away from the Corso and its dis- 
tractions — all those decked-out, restless 
people ! 

We had a delightful time to-day. For 
about two hours we wandered about in the 
delicious air; the only thing that spoilt it 
was the almost unendurable heat. I en- 
vied the Princess, who was wearing a thin 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

white linen blouse, while Moni was in her 
little white sailor-dress. 

In the afternoon, we carried out our plan 
of yesterday, and drove to Scandicci. Poor 
Moni was again obliged to share the treat, 
which gave neither her nor me any particu- 
lar pleasure, as she again took her midday 
sleep in my arms. 

At last we arrived at Scandicci, and an 
inquisitive crowd gathered round our car 
as soon as we stopped — chiefly men, who, 
as everywhere in Italy, lounge about idly 
all day, and let their wives and children 
support them by straw-plaiting. 

I mustn't forget to mention the inevitable 
yapping village-curs! I stayed with Monica 
in the car while the Princess went into 
the cottage. She soon came out, accom- 
panied by two older women, and we ar- 
ranged about the size and price of the hats. 
Then one of the two women brought a 
tray with wine and cakes from the house, 

and we had to take some of each. And 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

then a puppy — a cross between a pug, a 
poodle, and a wire-haired terrier! — was 
handed into the car. He had once been 
given to Monica as a present, and had been 
boarded out here, and now we were sup- 
posed to be going to take him back with us. 
But he brought so much company with 
him that we hastily hurled him out on the 
other side of the car, which appeared to be 
a great relief to him and his! 

We certainly hadn't drunk much wine, 
and therefore there was not the least ex- 
cuse for our automobile tumbling into the 
very first ditch! Luckily none of us was 
injured; only the mudguard was twisted. 
We got down, but the chauffeur alone could 
not lift the heavy car out of the ditch, so 
the Princess rushed back to the village and 
fetched some lusty peasants, who were soon 
followed by a considerable crowd of women 
and children. These stood shrieking and 
chattering round the scene of disaster; and 

there was any amount of discussion as to 
164 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

what could possibly be done, so much so 
that they omitted to do anything, until one 
of the more intelligent men attacked the 
business with the chauffeur. The little in- 
termezzo did not last long; we were soon 
able to set off again, and reached Florence 
without any further adventures. 



165 



CHAPTER XI 

November 15. 

I HAVE now been here more than a fort- 
night, and have just written to the Court. 
I gave them a short description of my ar- 
rival, and went on to say that, up to the 
present, I had got on very well with Monica, 
and hoped that we would soon become 
even better friends. I gave the Princess 
the letter to read, and said that I thought 
it was only bare courtesy to tell them so 
much, and that she could send in her re- 
port all the same. 

The house is hideously uncomfortable 
again to-day. I do long for some German 
cosiness! These stone-floors are not to be 
endured, and the Princess has no notion of 
making a house homelike. 

It's not alone the domestic disorder, but 

166 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

she herself exhales an atmosphere of un- 
rest which affects everyone around her. 
She's never quiet for a moment. Nothing 
can keep her still. Her mind, to her, most 
assuredly, is no kingdom! She can't even 
sit down and read. The last few days have 
been really unbearable. Goodness knows 
what extraordinary ideas she may have got 
into her head ! She is so very adroit, and so 
incessantly plotting against the Court. 

To-day, at breakfast, she spoke to me 
very openly, complaining of her desperate 
longing for her children, which sometimes 
almost drives her mad. 

" Something must happen to end the con- 
flict; it's bend or break, now," she said. . . . 

It all makes me very anxious. I am so 
afraid that I may get mixed up with some 
of her escapades! I hope to goodness it 
isn't any such wild idea as that of her sud- 
den appearance in Dresden, for instance. 
She says now, herself, that that occurrence 

was the result of a momentary impulse. 
167 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

She declares that such an uncontoUable 
longing for her children seized her, that, in 
deep mourning and unattended, to avoid 
recognition, she drove in a boraccio all the 
long weary way from Florence to Pistoria, 
and thence went on without stopping to 
Leipzig. On this thirty-hour railway jour- 
ney she had nothing but a cup of coffee at 
Milan; and even at Frankfort, where there 
was a long wait, she took nothing to eat, 
lest she should be recognized and stopped. 
The rest of her story is so very diff'erent 
from the notorious facts, that it almost 
seems to me as if she wasn't above an 
equivocation. 

She can scarcely stay indoors for an hour 

now. The fit has come over her again. 

The poor child sees simply nothing of her; 

indeed, her adoration of Monica seems to 

me som.ewhat superficial, when I reflect 

that all the early part of the day, until 

lunch-time, she is invisible, as far as that 

little person is concerned, and that the 
168 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

same remark applies to the afternoon and 
evening! 

I have now had plenty of opportunity of 
studying her character, and I think that 
behind her outward charm there lies 
concealed a crass egotism, coupled with 
an overweening love of amusement. Very 
susceptible to flattery, even the coarsest, 
she has a tremendous opinion of her own 
good qualities and talents, with both of 
which she is doubtless richly endowed. 

She is very astute, but her cleverness is 
coupled with an incautious impulsiveness, 
which is almost incredible, and has the 
most amazing results. This, and her utter 
incapability of resistance to any sudden 
emotion, is largely accountable for her 
many false steps, and, above all, for her 
flight from the Saxon Court. 

I can't possibly say that her character is 
a bad one. Her most striking characteris- 
tic — apparently, at any rate — is a positively 

imperturbable good-humour. But her de- 
169 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

cisions often come as suddenly and unac- 
countably as a bolt from the blue. Once 
an idea enters her head, it must be acted 
upon that very moment. This explains the 
amazing contradictions in her behaviour 
which confront me daily. 

And her opinions are as sudden and irre- 
sponsible as her thoughts. A thing will 
seem a crime to her at one moment, at the 
next a noble deed. She has a genius for 
looking at certain things so variously, that 
black really seems capable of becoming 
white in her eyes; everything, in fact, ap- 
pears to her just as it suits her purpose 
that it should appear. 

Sometimes she perceives quite clearly 
that in her ^'affaire'" she is undoubtedly 
the chief culprit; but as a general rule she 
represents herself as the victim of an un- 
bearable condition of things. She says at 
such times that the family-relations in 
Dresden had made her life a perfect hell 

and driven her to despair, and that only by 
170 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

means of a scandal was it possible for her 
to escape from her place of torment. That 
is the logic with which she consoles herself. 

I don't wish to set forth here any theo- 
ries about heredity, nor to ''spread my- 
self" upon the subjects of her uncle, Jo- 
hann Orth, and her brother, Leopold Wolf- 
ling. Nor can I persuade myself to see in 
her a kind of female "Over-man," a solu- 
tion which, even in educated circles, is 
frequently brought forward to excuse her 
in Germany. In any case, we are not 
judged by the standard of the "Over- 
man," but by that of the society in which 
we are obliged to live. 

The only key which I can find to the 
character and conduct of the Princess is 
that, in spite of her brilliant gifts, she is 
psychically, perhaps even morally, defec- 
tive. Her family has in the last few dec- 
ades produced some most extraordinary 
specimens — ^brilliantly clever, but astound- 

ingly eccentric. The characteristics of the 

171 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

two male members whom I have mien- 
tioned (and one which they have in com- 
mon with the Princess) is a loathing for 
any kind of class-distinction and etiquette, 
and a keen desire for purely human rela- 
tions with their fellow-beings. This it is 
which has made these three personalities so 
popular with the great mass of the people; 
but how far from genuine is this much- 
paraded conviction one clearly perceives in 
the case of the Princess, for, whenever it 
happens to suit her, she lays a tremen- 
dous stress upon her position as " Imperial 
Highness." 

The end of Johann Orth was so sudden 
and so tragic that I will not bring him into 
comparison; but Leopold Wolfling is a 
perfect example of the same thing. The 
Princess herself told me: 

"My brother Leopold and I were the 

greatest friends — we cared more for one 

another than for any of the rest. I call 

him Eustachius, and he calls me Eustachia. 
172 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

We write and telegraph to each other near- 
ly every day. Look!" And she showed 
me a letter she had just got from him, 
beginning "Dearest Eustachia." He writes 
a small, delicate hand, like a woman. 

*'But I can't understand," she continued, 
"how he can be in love with such a woman. 
He is such a delightful, clever man! You 
should just see how commonly she eats, 
and hear her dreadful way of speaking. 
Her accent is something terrible. She is a 
totally uneducated person." 

"And is he happy with her.?" I asked. 

The Princess shrugged. 

"It seems so. He gives her lessons, 
teaches her French, and lately, the piano; 
but whether it will last is another question. 
As you know, he is living as a private gen- 
tleman near Zurich, going to the Univer- 
sity, and is very keen on his studies — es- 
pecially geology. But here's a curious 
thing he told me himseK. Lately a friend 

of former days went to see him, and asked 
173 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

the servant-maid If His Imperial Highness 
was at home. Of course the girl knew 
nothing about an Imperial Highness. All 
she could say was that Herr Wolfling lived 
there with his wife. The stranger asked 
again, rather louder; and my brother, who 
was standing on the stairs, heard the ques- 
tion, and he told me that he hadn't felt so 
happy for ages as he did when he heard 
the dear familiar old title again. So the 
visitor, whom otherwise he didn't par- 
ticularly care about, was received with 
great cordiality. Don't you think it was 
curious ? " 

I certainly did. Just Hke the Princess 
herself with her "Imperial Highness" 
-ing. . . . 

"I laughed, I can tell you," she went on, 

" when I saw him lately as I passed through 

Zurich. He came to the station to meet 

me. I looked for him everywhere, and 

couldn't see him at all. Then somebody 

exclaimed, 'Eustachia!' Good heavens! It 
174 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

was he! My brother — that man with the 
long beard and long hair, and never a hat 
on his head! I scarcely recognized him; 
he looked like one of the Apostles. He 
goes in for the 'simple life' nowadays. 
Well, I wonder how long it will last.^ 
Nothing but a phase, I'm certain; he'll go 
back to the old life again some day." 

Wolfling undoubtedly had a tremendous 
influence upon the Princess, and she has 
long since regretted her foolish flight, I am 
sure. What must it be to her to think "I 
might have been Queen!" — to her, with 
her frankly aristocratic ways and tastes, 
whatever she may choose to pose for in the 
way of democratic sans gene! A normal 
woman would probably be tortured by 
such thoughts, but Louise's light way of 
looking at things — that superficiality which 
is at once a blessing and a curse to her — 
enables her to be gay and cheerful, and to 
amuse herself fairly well, despite her sup- 
posed misfortunes and tragedies. 
175 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

But the earliest and most enduring in- 
fluence upon her development was that of 
Johann Orth. She always speaks of him 
with a certain emotion, and calls him — the 
one-time Prince Johann of Tuscany — by 
the pet name of "Uncle Schani." She 
knew him first when she was a fifteen-year- 
old girl in Vienna. The Court atmosphere 
there was as distasteful to her as the Dres- 
den one proved later on, and she used to 
express herself about it with much frank- 
ness, and make great fun of the various 
Archdukes. But her Uncle Schani was "a 
splendid fellow." She fell in love with 
him, and he asked her to marry him; but 
she refused on account of the near relation- 
ship, and said: "Uncle, do you want us to 
bring unsound children into the world.?'* 
His influence grew and grew, nevertheless. 

She is a good example of Lombroso's 
theory of genius and insanity; the Decad- 
ents, too, would be deeply interested in 

her. On one side, a quite unusual intel- 

176 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ligence; on the other, a total want of 
will-power, no self-control whatever, joined 
to an extraordinary tendency to intrigue, 
though never malicious intrigue. It is al- 
ways the enjoyment of a prank, a trick, 
never any kind of ill-feeling, and the many 
things she has told me of her early life and 
conduct confirm this diagnosis. 

On the other side, her distinguishing 
traits are her great good-nature and her sym- 
pathy, which display themselves in her pas- 
sion for doing good, especially to the sick 
and suffering. She looks like an angel of 
light in her phantasmal garments, when 
she is soothing and kissing her patients, 
and comforting them with warm, kind 
words. While she is actually doing these 
things, she is for the moment absolutely 
sincere in her kindness; but that does not 
prevent her from feeling desperately pleased 
with herself afterwards, and remembering 
it all most sentimentally, so that one gets 

an impression of theatricality. 

12 177 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Moreover, she thinks nothing of kissing 
and caressing a person one minute and say- 
ing the sweetest things to him, and the 
next abusing him and turning him into utter 
ridicule. She is a bundle of contradictions, 
and he would be indeed a goose who re- 
garded her pretty speeches and heartfelt 
promises as anything but the expression of 
a moment's mood. 

This very day I have had a fresh proof 

of the truth of my diagnosis. Just now, 

in her excitement, she declared that it was 

the greatest brutality to want to take Monica 

away from her. "She would proclaim it 

to the whole world if they deprived her 

of her child. She would have no house 

nor home; she would rush all over the 

globe in her automobile. ..." And a 

minute afterwards she was explaining that 

these were her conditions to the Court: she 

would not relinquish Monica unless they 

gave her a castle in Germany — Sybille- 

nort, in point of fact — and a suitable allow- 
178 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ance; and she would insist on seeing all 
her children there at regular intervals. 



November 16. 

The good hours here seem to be over. I 
am already counting the days until I get 
back to Germany — whether with or with- 
out Monica is the grand question. In the 
meantime we spend our time in driving, 
walking, and writing post-cards. This morn- 
ing we three were in the Cascine, and met 
the two Peruzzi men — brothers and Mar- 
quises! The other day they gave Monica 
a stuffed bear, which enraptured her. One 
of the brothers is about twenty-one, the 
other twenty-three, and they are among 
the Princess's intimates. We have often 
met them in the street. They are charm- 
ing young fellows, the last scions of the 
great house of Medici. Their mother is 
an American, so they are "English-look- 
ing," and prefer to talk English — at any 
179 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

rate, they talk it with the Princess. She 
does not receive them at Montauto, but 
sometimes visits their mother. Of course, 
this friendship has given rise to any quan- 
tity of gossip, for everybody believes the 
very worst of the Princess on the smallest 
provocation. But one could not degrade 
one's self by writing down the abominable 
things that are said about her in certain 
circles. She doesn't care a bit — the best 
possible attitude! The scandals here are 
largely attributable to a book which has 
had an enormous sale on the Continent 
and in England and America, called "The 
Confessions of a Princess"* — a roman a 
clef, of which she was said to be the author. 
The Princess read this book, which I need 
not say she entirely denies having written; 
but she thinks it must have been put to- 
gether by some discharged lackey or lady's 
maid, for it does display a certain knowl- 
edge of the milieu and of various things 

* Bekenntnisse einer Prinzessin. 
180 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

connected with herself, which could only be 
known through the indiscretions of initiates. 



November 17. 

Almost every day now we drive to the 
Anglo-American Stores, for Moni to try on 
little coats and hats; then we go regularly 
to a garage, to look at automobiles. Quite 
lately the Princess confided to me that her 
car was too expensive, and that she would 
have to get rid of it, and now we look at 
bigger ones every day; so her small one, 
instead of being too expensive, was appar- 
ently not expensive enough! She is bar- 
gaining now for a gorgeous big green one, 
to cost 50,000 lire. She wants to exchange 
hers against it. Whenever I am with Moni 
in the garage, she always drags me into the 
repairing rooms. 

*'Come and let us look at the little sick 
automobiles." Evidently she regards it as 

a hospital. 

181 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

The Princess heard from the proprietor 
that the Count of Turin would Hke to buy 
her car, but there are difficulties about the 
transaction. 

She does not wish the Count to come to 
the villa, so she unfolded to me the follow- 
ing plan: 

"I've thought it out, Frau Kremer. You 
will drive with me to the Cascine, or, better 
still, we'll take Monili too, and meet him 
there — on neutral ground, as it were. I 
know that he has wanted to make my ac- 
quaintance for ever so long. N , who 

was at one time his mistress, has told me 
so frequently. She added that he 'deeply 
respected' me. ... I had a sort of idea 

that N was to be the go-between. You 

must know that here all men consider me a 
sort of free-lance, everybody's game— a 
shameless creature like me! I can't pre- 
vent that, but this one shall see that he's 
mistaken, at any rate. He shan't enter 

my house. He can buy my car if he likes, 

182 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

but we'll arrange it as I say, and you 7nust 
come with me. The Count, by-the-bye, is 
immensely handsome, and a great success 
with women." 

The last remark was for my benefit! 
Whenever she thinks a subject at all em- 
barrassing, it's a favourite trick of hers to 
break off with a joke like that. 

But nothing came of the Count and 
the car and the Cascine, for the Princess 
changed her mind, and decided to keep her 
automobile. 



183 



CHAPTER XII 

November 18, Sunday. 

At Mass in the morning. Signer Payer 
came to lunch, and the Princess drove him 
home herself in the automobile, returning 
at once. We spent the afternoon over the 
post-cards, and have got into the second 
thousand. 

The Princess delights in getting me to 
talk about Dresden. I frequently saw her 
there, and noticed her very particularly. 
Once I saw her at the Court Theatre — ^it 
was at a performance of "Samson and De- 
lilah" — and I was able to describe her 
dress, when she asked me, so minutely, 
that she jumped up in huge excitement, 
crying: "Yes, yes! That's exactly what I 
had on!" 1 remembered that she was 

wearing a magnificent pair of diamond ear- 
184 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

rings, and said I wondered why she never 
wore any but pearl ones now. I had never 
yet seen those splendid diamonds since I 
came. 

"Oh, I have them still," she said. 
" There" s a long story about them. . . . 
When I was quite a young girl, I was never 
allowed to wear ear-rings at all, and I sim- 
ply longed to. But when I asked my 
father to let me, he replied that he'd as 
soon see me with a ring in my nose. Then, 
when I was a bride, I thought I should 
have my wish at last; but my husband 
disliked ear-rings, too; so I said: *Will you 
promise me a pair after I've had three 
babies.?' He consented to that. But — 
man proposes! After several months of 
married life, there wasn't any sign of one 
baby, not to speak of three and the dia- 
mond ear-rings, and my father-in-law (then 
Prince George), who was very anxious 
about the succession, suggested that we 

should make a pilgrimage to Mariaschein. 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Well, we made our pilgrimage, confessed, 
and communicated, and with excellent re- 
sults — so excellent, indeed, that, as a baby 
began to arrive every year, I finally said to 
my father-in-law: *Papa, what do you say 
to another pilgrimage to Mariaschein ? We 
might ask to stop the babies for a while.' " 
The point was, however, that soon after 
the birth of the third little Prince, the 
mother claimed the fulfilment of her hus- 
band's promise. He couldn't refuse, and 
as soon as she could go out she went to the 
Court jeweller, Rosner, got the ear-rings, 
and had her ears pierced. But old Rosner 
was so excited that his hand shook, and he 
pierced too deeply. It hurt her dread- 
fully, but she wouldn't be prevented from 
going to the theatre that evening with the 
new ear-rings on; and so she sat there the 
whole evening with aching ears, but so de- 
lighted with her triumph that he bore the 
pain heroically to the end. 



186 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

November 19. 

The weather has broken. It's almost as 
cold out-of-doors as in. Fires are burning 
everywhere, but nothing can warm this 
house. We had a storm this morning — 
the herald of winter. Yet the Princess 
can't stay within four walls, and as there 
happened to be nothing on the calendar, 
she suggested that she should take me to 
the Palazzo Pitti. Signor Payer acted as 
cicerone. Unfortunately, the Princess is 
very active, so it was a kind of "Ride of 
the Valkyries" through the long succession 
of rooms — a horror, instead of the antici- 
pated joy. Truly, one would need to pos- 
sess iron nerves, or else a most phlegmatic 
temperament, not to break down more or 
less beneath this torture; but it has never 
been so bad as these last few days. 



187 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

November 20. 

Moni and her mother went out to lunch 
to-day with some Enghsh friends, and as I 
was free, it was arranged for me to go to 
the Palazzo Vecchio with Miss Zimmern. 
How different it all was with this gentle 
lady — such a contrast, in her genuine 
sweetness and dignity, to the Princess! 
But she added to my worries by telling me 
that she, too, had noticed what an excited 
state the Princess was in. She tells me 
Her Imperial Highness now declares that 
she has hit upon a perfectly splendid plan 
which will force the Court to accept her 
conditions (I believe she has a long list of 
them); but she absolutely refused to let 
Miss Zimmern know what the plan was. 
She usually tells her everything, but at 
present she confines herself to stating mys- 
teriously that "it is splendidly thought 
out." 

Miss Zimmern thinks that it must be 
188 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

some perfectly monstrous piece of folly, 
since she was afraid to confide it to her, 
and is very anxious to know if I have gath- 
ered any idea of it. Unfortunately, I could 
give her no information, and haven't even 
succeeded in having a word with the Prin- 
cess to-day, for she went off this evening 
en grande toilette — "a party at another old 
married couple's, where it would be fright- 
fully boring!" 



November 21. 

To-day is the anniversary of the Prin- 
cess's wedding-day. Perhaps that was what 
made her so talkative. She told me a 
lot about her early life, about her hus- 
band, about her children. She is firmly 
convinced that she would long since have 
been reconciled with her husband, and that 
all would have been well, if she had only 
had to do with him alone, or had even had 

one interview with him. But how could 

189 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

slie possibly have got at him, considering 
that every step he took was spied upon by 
a set of people whom she hated and loathed 
from the bottom of her heart? But if she 
could only talk to him alone, and tell him 
everything, and say she was sorry, she was 
perfectly certain that everything would be 
all right again. 

'* Perhaps when you're with Moni in 
some castle near Dresden, you could man- 
age a surprise-meeting between me and 
the King in the park ? No man could ever 
resist a woman whom he has loved as he 
loved me, and I should know just how to 
win him back again." 

Is that the cat coming out of the bag.^ 

Does the mysterious plan resolve itself into 

an attack upon the King.? And does she 

think she's going to be able to use me for 

such a purpose ? It's not such a bad idea, 

but there's one flaw in it — I am not inclined 

to help. So I listened quite coolly while 

she talked on persuasively, and said that 
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STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

we'd go together — ^that was, she and I, not 
even Monica — to Munich early in Decem- 
ber, and there she would give Countess 
Fugger her list of conditions; and Coun- 
tess Fugger should then go with me to 
Dresden and lay them personally before 
the Court, and I was to be a witness on 
her side, so to speak. 

I did not say anything about the judi- 
ciousness of this proceeding, but merely 
asked, in some surprise, if she really did not 
intend to relinquish Monica. 

'*Of course, of course, she was ready 
to relinquish Monica, but not until her 
conditions had been accepted. ..." An- 
other instance of her utter egotism. Not 
for the child's sake, not to rescue her from 
her ambiguous position, is she ready to 
give her up, but merely as the price of her 
precious conditions. 



191 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

November 22. 

The Princess has a new diversion, a new 
craze — shoemaking. She was inspired to 
this by Lady Paget, who, as I have already 
said, makes all her own boots. Yesterday 
arrived Scipio, her excellent old servant- 
man, and drove into town with the Prin- 
cess in the automobile, to show her the 
shops where she can buy leather, lasts, 
cobbler's wax, and other essentials. To- 
day a lady came to give the first lesson, 
and the Princess was enchanted with the 
new game. She has already made half a 
shoe, and even at table she never stopped 
hammering at the soles. Hedwig is to 
have the very first pair of home-made shoes, 
and is fervently hoping that the second 
shoe may soon be ready. I imagine that 
she will have to wait a long time for it! 

In the afternoon we wrote post-cards 
again. We are well into the second thou- 
sand now. In to-day's delivery I came 
192 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

across a letter, in the Princess's handwrit- 
ing, which came from Dresden! I didn't 
conceal from her my astonishment that she 
should write letters to herself from Dres- 
den. She said, rather confusedly, that it 
wasn't her handwriting — ^the "f's" were 
quite different. Nearer inspection proved 
this to be true, but otherwise the handwrit- 
ing resembles hers to a dot. 

Not only does it slope in the same direc- 
tion, but its small peculiarities are identi- 
cal. Its real author is a certain Bergmann, 
a tooth-powder maker in Potschappel, near 
Dresden; and, as I gradually found out, 
the leading spirit of the "Louise-party" in 
Saxony. Whether he originally wrote like 
this I can't say, but it seems to me quite 
impossible that two people, entirely un- 
connected with one another, should write 
almost identically the same. I should 
think that Bergmann had systematically 
studied every tiniest feature of the Prin- 
cess's writing, and then imitated it. It 
13 193 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

seems to me all the more probable now that 
I know it was he who painted that won- 
derful cup of hers, which is red and gold on 
the outside, and has inside a so-called 
" Watteau "-picture of a nymph bathing. 
The Princess invariably uses this cup for 
her coffee and tea. It is taken out of a 
pretty case to be used, then washed by 
Gioconda in the room under its owner's 
eyes, and then carefully put back in the 
case. 

Bergmann was originally a painter on 
porcelain, who might be expected to have 
an eye for outline; and is, as I've said be- 
fore, the head of the so-called "Band of 
Friends," a society which boasts of having 
branches all over Germany, and whose ob- 
ject is to conduct the Princess Louise's 
affairs in Saxony. The fanaticism of these 
people must be enormous; they shrink 
from no expense, and Bergmann has al- 
ready managed to secure an audience with 

the Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, 
194 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

through the mediation of a Frau Schratt, 
but without any particular result. 

In the evening the Princess went to the 
theatre. Zacconi is there with his com- 
pany, and she gave me a very sensitive and 
enthusiastic description of his Oswald in 
Ibsen's "Ghosts." She always takes two 
front stalls, and is usually accompanied by 
Miss Zimmern, but sometimes by a lady- 
doctor, a Miss Harris, or else by a singer, 
Signora Baracchia. Dr. Harris is an 
American from San Francisco. She lost 
all her property in the earthquake, and 
now lives permanently in Florence. Sig- 
nora Baracchia is also an American by 
birth. She has a magnificent voice, and 
sometimes gives the Princess singing 
lessons. 



November 23. 

These last few days we all seem to have 

purposely avoided the subject of the giv- 
195 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ing-up of Monica. . . . It's very, very 
hot again to-day, as we noticed on our 
walk. Lately the Princess has often come 
with us, and so she did to-day. Monica is 
not particularly delighted by this conde- 
scension. To-day she was very naughty, 
and wouldn't run on in front. Her mother 
lets her tyrannize over her quite cheerfully. 
But as she wanted to walk herself instead 
of driving, she carried Monica "pig-a- 
back," in spite of all objections from me or 
anyone else. When we came home To- 
rello was there with his boraccio, and as 
soon as he unharnessed the donkey and let 
Monica ride, the little imp forgot all about 
being tired. On days like this one is al- 
most afraid to go into the house; it is like 
going from a sun-bath into an ice-cellar. 
That is rather an exaggerated way of put- 
ting it, but the Princess never speaks ex- 
cept in hyperbole, and so one falls oneself 
into the habit. 



196 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

November 24. 

The climate will certainly get no praise 
from me just now. I suppose I must have 
caught cold yesterday in the ** ice-cellar," 
for I am ill to-day, and have had a fainting- 
fit. The Princess is exquisite; she is as 
anxious about me as if I were her own 
child — makes tea for me herself, takes me 
in her arms, kisses me on the forehead, and 
pets me generally. She brought Monica 
down to me, too, but Monica took it very 
coolly, and merely gave me her "handle." 
It's rather dreadful to have to be alone for 
the greater part of the day, with all my anx- 
ieties! On the other hand, however, the 
rest is doing me a lot of good, after all these 
worrying days, and so I'm not very sorry 
to be laid up. 



197 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 



November 25. 

Dr. Kreyl has examined me, and says 
that 1 am suffering from cold and nervous 
collapse, a diagnosis which I had already 
made for myself. I am to stay in the house 
for a few days, and in the meantime the 
Princess is going to drive to Scandicci and 
fetch the hats. She is to be accompanied 
on this drive — a very unusual arrangement 
— ^by Signor Giollini and his wife. . . . 
Now that I am ill, I find the change in the 
weather very trying. Dr. Kreyl tells me 
that I must sit out in the sun as long 
as there is any. And now I am back in 
my room again. In spite of the blaz- 
ing — and, alas! smoking — ^fire, I cannot 
get warm. ... I was interested in Dr. 
Kreyl's personality: the Princess made 
him stay to lunch. He is a pale, dark 
man, somewhat awkward in manner, of 
about twenty-eight, a Swabian from lovely 

Stuttgart. I think I have mentioned that 
198 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

he is the head-surgeon — together with Dr. 
Banzetti — at the ambulanza. When the 
Princess broke her leg last spring, he 
tended her devotedly, and she cannot praise 
him enough. But his great distinction in 
Florence is the story of his marriage to an 
English girl. This lady, beautiful and 
gifted, is a painter of considerable talent, 
and she only consented to go with him to 
the Registrar upon certain written condi- 
tions, which she carried in a portfolio 
under her arm. The principal one was 
that theirs was to be a '* purely spiritual" 
marriage. She put her theory into prac- 
tice directly, for as soon as the ceremony 
was over she went off by herself to Rome, 
and has been there now for some weeks. 



November 26. 

The Princess has altered her "plan" 

once more. She still sticks to the idea of 

going with me and her maid to Munich in 
199 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

the beginning of December. There she 
still means to stay with her friend, Coun- 
tess Fugger; but I am now to go on alone 
to Dresden, and confer with the Court. 
She will recommend me most cordially to 
the authorities there, and all she means to 
ask of them at first is to leave the little 
Princess with her till the spring. Then I 
am to come back to Florence and fetch her, 
"as I won't stay with her all the time." I 
am, above all things, to bear witness in 
Dresden that the change to the raw north- 
erly climate would be most dangerous to 
the child at this time of year. 

I said that that was quite true, but she 
must have known it all along. Of course 
it's all a feint, and I have been sadly cheated 
of my hopes. The Princess has no inten- 
tion of relinquishing the child; all her pol- 
icy is directed simply to putting off the de- 
cisive moment. Only she doesn't quite 
know how to manage it. Moreover, I am 

convinced that the innumerable and daily 
200 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

increasing reports from '* Louisa-maniacs" 
(however she may laugh at them) are in- 
fluencing her deeply; and I look forward 
to December 1 — only a few days off now 
— with much secret anxiety. She is nicer 
than ever to me, saying that she envies me 
the reunion with my children, and our 
Christmas together. I am quick enough 
to draw my own conclusions — and I have 
begun to prepare for my departure. The 
Princess helped me with visible satisfaction 
in my search for interesting souvenirs of 
Florence, and incessantly expressed her 
readiness to help me and mine in every 
possible way. She is *' praising me off the 
premises"! But what is the reason of her 
restlessness and nervousness — so great that 
she can hardly endure to be at Montauto 
for an hour at a time ? . . . 

When I was sitting in the sun to-day, she 
passed me and put the Tag on my knee, 
saying, "Just read that. It's quite inter- 
esting to-day." 

201 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

The "interesting" part was the an- 
nouncement of Giron's marriage! She said 
nothing more about it — indeed, she seemed 
a good deal hveher even than usual. The 
news troubled her as little as the anything 
but flattering remarks about herself which 
accompanied it. 



November 27. 

To-day I resumed my accustomed walk 
with Moni for the first time since my ill- 
ness. We went down Bellosguardo to the 
Porta Romana, crossed the tramway lines, 
and turned into the broad walk on the left, 
which is called the Viale dei Colli. Hand- 
some wide paths, bordered with trees, lead 
gently up the hill. We then went into the 
Boboli Gardens, which run along to the 
right, about half-way up; and Moni was 
enchanted with the gold-fish swimming 
round and round in the basins. There are 

beautiful flower-beds, magnificent groups 

202 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

of trees, and clumps of ornamental shrubs. 
The gardens climb right up the hill, but we 
stayed below with the gold-fish and the 
fountains, and rested on a bench. Monica 
picked up acorns and played with them. 
The view of Florence from here is marvel- 
lous. At midday three guns went off, and 
we went back to lunch. 

At table Moni was again dreadfully 
naughty. She never has much of an appe- 
tite, but to-day she would scarcely touch 
a morsel. She kicked her legs about, 
scratched the tablecloth with her nails as 
far as she could reach, and made the most 
hideous faces. The Princess was sitting; 
opposite, and was hugely amused by her 
pranks, so that it was utterly impossible 
for me to get Monica into any sort of or- 
der, no matter what I said. My pleading 
glances — it would only have needed a word 
from her to set all right — ^were totally un- 
heeded. At last I laid down my spoon, 

and said to the Princess: "If I might sug- 
203 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

gest something, Your Imperial Highness, 
it would be that we should send for a doc- 
tor. I can hardly believe that these convul- 
sive movements of Moni's are mere naugh- 
tiness. I consider them symptomatic — 
unless the child has St. Vitus's dance!" 

The Princess got perfectly crimson, and 
called Moni to order — she was now busily 
engaged in disposing of a large mouthful 
of dinner with the help of a great deal too 
big a draught of water. As I have already 
remarked, a governess at Montauto really 
doesn't know where to begin! 



204 



CHAPTER XIII 

November 28, 

To-day the canary-bird, whose arrival was 
announced more than a fortnight ago, came 
at last from Miessen. It was intended as 
a present for Monica, and was in great 
spirits when it reached us, despite the long, 
cold transit. The giver was a "Louisa- 
maniac." He had not neglected to pro- 
vide it with a pretty brass cage, decorated 
with gay painted glass, a little bath, and 
the necessary food; indeed, there was actu- 
ally a stand to hang the cage on! Moni 
was much delighted with the tiny creature, 
which seemed to be very tame, and Hedwig 
soon had everything in order — sand upon 
the floor, water and seeds in the little 
bowls, and the cage— for the Princess 

thought the stand hideous — comfortably 

205 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

arranged upon a table in the nursery. Here 
the canary from Miessen is to take up his 
permanent abode. Even this first day he 
began to sing so enthusiastically that the 
Princess could hear him in the next room. 
She was not overjoyed, for she can't bear 
canaries, and in the afternoon she cried: 

"Hede, take the bird away, or I shall go 
crazy!" To me she said, as we were work- 
ing at the post-cards: "I can't bear ca- 
naries; their singing and piping gets on 
my nerves and drives me half distracted. 
Oh, I canH stand this! . . . Hede, I be- 
seech you to take the bird away. Carry it 
upstairs. The noise is unendurable!" 

"But, Your Imperial Highness," an- 
swered Haubold, "the child loves it so! 
Do let her have it here. We'll shut the 
door, then it won't be so noisy." 

With that she went out and shut the door. 

"If the bird doesn't go upstairs, / will!" 

the Princess called after her. 

Then she explained to me that the sing- 
206 



STRUGGLE FOU A ROYAL CHILD 

ing reminded her of a bird they had had 
at home, which she couldn't bear either, 
for he made such a dreadful racket the 
whole day long. 

But all the same Haubold did not take the 
bird away, nor did the Princess go upstairs ! 

Moni is better pleased with the little 
creature; she brings him lumps of sugar, 
and looks to see that he has seeds and 
water, but just now I caught her taking 
his sugar away from him and eating it 
herself ! * 



November 28. 

When I was going upstairs this morning, 
I saw the Princess, in her nursing-dress, 
disappearing round a corner, and heard 

*I gave myself the pleasure, on my return to Dresden, of 
looking up the canary-giver at Miessen. The honest fellow 
was delighted to hear of the reception which the little Princess 
had given his present, and then said, smiling: " Oh yes ! and I 
gave one to the King too ! " And when I looked at him in 
amazement, he added: " You may say I am Canary Provider 
to the Coiu't. mayn't you ?" 

207 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

that Rosina, the cook, had been taken very 
ill at five o'clock — so bad that they had 
awakened the Princess, who gave her "first 
aid," and then telephoned to the doctor, 
and was now busy with her again. At 
eight o'clock Dr. Kreyl arrived, and she 
told me laughingly soon afterwards that 
she had been there during the examina- 
tion, and that everything was now arranged. 
Rosina was to stay in bed for a day or two, 
take great care of herself, eat well and be 
well-nourished, and would soon be all right 
again. So the Princess is in her element! 
She can turn herself into a nurse, and the 
house into a hospital. Immeasurably kind 
and solicitous as she was to me during my 
little attack, her goodness to Rosina baffles 
all description. A temporary cook was in- 
stantly procured, and told that her chief 
care was to be — Rosina! The net result is 
that one mostly finds the whole kitchen 
emptied, so to speak, into Rosina's room. 

The taking-in of her dinner is a sort of 
208 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

processional march. First comes Sever- 
ina, who opens the doors; Gioconda fol- 
lows with the dinner- tray; and last of all — 
the Flag-Lieutenant, as it were! — comes 
the portly "temporary," whose only duty, 
apparently, is to be present. They stalk 
solemnly, one after the other, like a flock of 
geese — only they're too intensely grave even 
for that! — ^through the dining-room several 
times a day on their way to the sick-cham- 
ber. . . . To crown all, the Princess her- 
self settles the convalescent in a cosy arm- 
chair in her own room, wraps her in her 
own best rugs, strokes her, tucks her in, 
watches over her sleep, gives her her medi- 
cine — floating in a veritable heaven of al- 
truism! 



November 30. 

To-day, as Fate would have it, the chauf- 
feur too fell desperately ill. High temper- 
ature, inflamed throat. The Princess was 

14 209 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

as pleased as a newly-established young 
doctor — yet another patient! She divided 
herself nobly between Rosina and Lagler, 
as, unfortunately, she could not well estab- 
lish the two in her bed-room. And we 
heard by telephone that Miss Zimmern 
also had been ill these last few days. Doubt- 
less, the Princess would have nursed her 
indefatigably also, if her own Home-Hos- 
pital had not taken up all her time. 



December 1. 

To-day my time of probation is over, and 
I don't yet know what is going to happen. 
Nothing can be done till I hear from the 
Court. The Princess telegraphed early to 
Dresden, "Report follows." But she's go- 
ing to take her time about it, she tells me, 
so it won't go off to-day. She told me at 
morning coffee what she was going to say 
to the Ministry: "That I am to her the 

most sympathetic of personalities, and that 
210 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

she would like to entrust her child's future 
education to me. But the time of year is 
unsuitable for giving her up; she therefore 
begs the King to leave the little one with her 
until the coming spring. She would fur- 
ther desire, before Monica goes to Dresden, 
to make her acquainted with her two little 
sisters.' 

She proposes now again to send Countess 
Fugger with me to the Court, so that she 
may negotiate there some further much- 
desired arrangements. She has already 
wired to the Countess to come to Florence 
— greatly to my surprise, I must say. Hith- 
erto the talk has merely been of the Prin- 
cess coming with me to Munich, and thence 
despatching the Countess to Dresden. So 
here's yet another change! I don't doubt 
that this plan, too, will be eventually 
thrown overboard. But, at any rate, we 
must wait until we hear from the Court. 
That won't be for a fortnight, of course, I 

must reckon on that much waiting before 
211 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

I can depart, either with or without Monica 
— ^without her, I now feel perfectly sure! 
Thus, all we can do for the next few days 
is to possess our souls in patience. I long 
for home all the more, because since the 
end of November it has been so horribly 
cold. The tramontana blows now and then. 
Directly I enter my room in the afternoon, 
I have to light the fire in the stove — which 
is always ready laid — and even then I can 
hardly bear it, and have to sit wrapped in 
rugs before the blazing fire. 

The Princess has arranged an automo- 
bile trip to Pisa for to-morrow, but to judge 
by the strangely white, ring-shaped clouds, 
we are likely to have the tramontana to- 
morrow, which will knock the automobile 
trip on the head. 

On these cold days little Moni*s fencing 

costume comes in very useful for her. It is 

like a boy's suit in black velvet. She wears 

long black stockings and patent-leather 

shoes with it, and round her waist a black 
212 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

silk sasli with fringed ends. She looks so 
like a little boy that we call her "Schani." 

"Schani" has a little Highland dress, 
too, and loves to dance and leap about in 
the dining-room with me in it, while the 
Princess plays a Highland Schottische. On 
such occasions we often get other music 
also, and sometimes a song or two, but 
never anything but drawing-room ballads. 
She played a Lied lately, and then asked 
me if I knew it. 

I answered promptly: "Yes; it's a Lied 
by Koschat. I can't remember the name 
at this moment." 

"You're wrong," said the Princess 
proudly;" it's a composition of my own." 

She sometimes takes a fit, when she has 
asked people here, of fetching them herself 
in the automobile. She did so this even- 
ing, when she had a little party, at which 
she had invited me to be present. Signora 
Barrachia wanted to bring a young piano- 
forte virtuoso named Toselli. In full even- 
213 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ing-dress, very decolletee, with only a fur 
cape over her shoulders, and white satin 
shoes on her feet, the Princess set off in 
the automobile about eight o'clock and 
collected her guests, who also included 
Miss Harris, the lady-doctor. As I had a 
headache, I didn't assist, and only heard 
from the imrsery a few songs from Barra- 
chia, and then the brilliant playing of the 
young Italian virtuoso. 

The Princess hasn't yet written to the 
Court. 



December 2. 

The Princess has been making out her 
monthly accounts, and finds the automo- 
bile is too expensive, so she's going to give 
it up altogether. The plan of changing it 
for a larger one has been abandoned, as I 
expected. Now she's worried at the idea 
of dismissing the chauffeur. The auto- 
mobile is to be taken to the garage in town, 
214 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

and the proprietor will try to dispose of it. 
That was all arranged this morning, as I 
thought. 

She came in to lunch very excited, say- 
ing that she couldn't eat anything (which 
didn't prevent her from displaying an ex- 
cellent appetite). The reason of her vexa- 
tion was that she had been told in town 
that her automobile had been seen late at 
night, when she was at a party or the thea- 
tre, in a notorious street, where the chaffeur 
had taken up a powdered and painted car- 
go, and gone for a drive with them in the 
Cascine Gardens. Of course, this is fright- 
fully injurious to the Princess; but what is 
she to do.^ One would suppose, to send 
the automobile instantly to the garage to 
be sold, and dismiss the chauffeur without 
delay! / said that she ought to tell him 
the reason straight out. 

*'Oh, good heavens, no!" she cried; 
"that would never do." 

And Haubold also asseverated that it 

215 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

was out of the question to speak to him of 
such a thing. 

So everything is to remain as it is until 
January 1! And she "doesn't beUeve the 
chauffeur's so bad — probably it's nothing 
but talk!" 

She hasn't written to Dresden to-day 
either. 



December 3. 

To-day Duse visits her native Florence 
with her company, and the Princess, to my 
great delight, has asked me to go with her 
to the Pergola-Theatre. They are playing 
Gioconda, by Gabriele d'Annunzio, the play 
which was written expressly for his one- 
time amie. As the scene is laid in Flor- 
ence, the piece is always received here with 
much enthusiasm. The curtain rises on 
the well-known view from the Viale dei 
Colli. Although I know very little Italian, 

I was able to follow the piece tolerably well — 
216 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

thanks to Duse's expressive acting. The 
Princess, moreover, was a good interpreter. 
The play itself is weak. There are only a 
few really enthralling scenes, but it gives 
the Duse an opportunity — and that is^ its 
principal purpose — of displaying her won- 
derful method, together with her expressive 
hands, her soulful eyes, and last, not least, 
her exquisitely artistic dresses. 

What struck me most, on the whole, after 
the beauty of her voice, was the amazingly 
natural gesture and movement, the great 
truthfulness of her acting. She, of course, 
was the absorbing figure. Even in the 
last act (which is very weak, and even su- 
perfluous), when both her hands have been 
shattered by the fall of the statue, and she 
speechlessly holds them out, she showed 
the most marvellous art. She was called 
before the curtain again and again — it must 
have been quite a dozen times — and as we 
were quite close, I could see her so well that 

her face is fixed on my memory for ever. 

217 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

In the intervals, the Princess pointed out 
to me various Florentine notabilities. She 
gave me very piquant and interesting de- 
tails about some of them— for instance, the 

Marquis S , who was sitting in one of 

the stage-boxes, and whose money-aifairs 
are in such a precarious condition that he 
has already been obliged to sell his ances- 
tral palace. He had the bad taste to say in 
one of the clubs, when the Princess came 
to Florence, "that in six months she would 
be his mistress." 

"Well," said she, rubbing her hands, 
"I've been here two years, and I'm not yet!" 

In one of the boxes on the first tier, close 
beside us, there were sitting quite a dozen 
fast-looking men, who all had their glasses 
levelled on the Princess. When it became 
too insulting, she shrugged her shoulders 
(which were actually covered, for once in a 
way), and said: 

"Bah! they're like a lot of monkeys in a 

cage. It's simply sickening." 
218 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

I also saw a great many Florentine beau- 
ties in gorgeous array. They seem all to 
be distinguished by pale complexions, Ti- 
tianesque fair or chestnut hair, hooked 
noses, and fine figures. Some slender 
blonde Englishwomen seemed to attract 
most of the attention of the jeunesse doree; 
and truly I have seldom seen more beauti- 
ful representatives of Old England than 
upon that evening in the Pergola. 

The English colony in Florence is very 
considerable, and fills no less than five An- 
glican churches. . . . The Princess's let- 
ter to Dresden hasn't gone yet I 



December 4. 

To-day the Princess has written to Dres- 
den — only to-day! She read me out the 
extraordinarily comprehensive document, 
whose contents I practically knew before- 
hand. I was struck with the fact that she 

says, as a further reason for her refusal to 
219 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

send Monica with me, that the little Prin- 
cess ought to have more time in which to 
grow accustomed to her future governess. 
What logic! Daily and hourly she holds 
forth to me on the subject of my joy in see- 
ing my children again; and she has told 
me more than a dozen times that I must be 
a very unnatural mother if I'm not simply 
longing to be with my dear little girls. And 
now the idea is that Monica must have a 
still longer time to get accustomed to me. 
Good heavens! Where, and when! While 
I'm with my '* dear little girls " .^ It sounds 
somewhat more plausible when she says 
that she sees how impossible it must be for 
me to give my undivided love and devotion 
to her darling while I am so far away from 
my own children. 

It was for this ostensible reason that, in 
the middle of November, she wanted to 
move heaven and earth for me to go at 
once with Moni to Dresden. But she's 

forgotten all about that! She knows now 

220 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

that I am not inclined to stay longer in 
Florence, and she knows, too, quite well, 
that even if the Court granted her request 
to leave me here longer, it would do no 
good at all, because it is / who refuse to 
stay. So she evidently must be playing me 
false in some way. 

With this idea in my head, I requested 
her to-day to give me directions for my re- 
turn journey. We fixed December 19 or 
20 for my departure. 

Probably the decision upon to-day's let- 
ter will be delayed until the middle of De- 
cember, for there must first be a Privy 
Council, and then the report to the King. 
But if the Court agrees to the new proposals, 
it would only take a day to settle it all. 
One trouble is certainly that I get my travel 
ling-expenses through the Court; but that 
doesn't really much matter, for she will ad- 
vance it if necessary, so anxious is she to 
see the last of me. 

And so to-day the situation is clear. I 
221 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

have failed in my mission. Now the only 
thing left is to make a dignified departure. 
I do not feel that there was one single mo- 
ment in which I could have acted other- 
wise than as I did, or that, following the 
instructions given me, I could have altered 
the result in the slightest degree. 

The end of the suspense, however, has 
calmed us all down, and this applies par- 
ticularly to the relations between the Prin- 
cess and Haubold, which have been rather 
strained for the last fortnight. Although, 
after that evening upon which she was 
turned out of my room in such a remark- 
able manner by the young woman, the 
Princess has never said a word against her 
to me, she has been somewhat snubbing to 
Haubold herself. 

They drove into town together to-day for 
the first time for ages, and when they came 
back, Haubold told me that they had 
spoken to one another very plainly on the 

way — and ever since she, too, has been 

222 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

amiability itself to me! I suppose that 
since there is now no doubt about my de- 
parture, she no longer regards me as a 
rival. But my experiences here make me 
distrust this change also, and I shall be 
well upon my guard. 



December 5. 

The last tramontana has evidently cleared 
the air, for since then the weather has been 
delightfully bright and fine. Though the 
thermometer is sometimes low in the morn- 
ings, there is an almost summer-like heat 
about twelve o'clock. The sky is brilliant- 
ly blue, the sun shines brightly, and the 
trees and shrubs are so fresh and green, that 
one almost forgets that Christmas is, so to 
speak, at the door. E,oses still bloom in 
the garden; the red berries of the laurels 
are splitting open, and showing the seed- 
capsules, which are even more brilliant in 

colour; other bushes have gleaming blue 
223 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

berries on them, and we are filling our 
bowls and vases with laurel and mimosa. 
It seems as if Nature wanted to wear her 
gayest and loveliest colours once more be- 
fore her winter-sleep. 

The Princess goes out driving these days ; 
she went to see Lady Paget this afternoon. 



December 6. 

One should never praise the weather, or, 
at any rate, not without knocking under 
wood! Yesterday was lovely; to-day is 
bitterly cold. We are all freezing. Even 
in bed last night every one was shivering, 
and so every one gets extra blankets to-day, 
Monica actually being presented with a 
Royal marten-skin rug, made from the 
spoils of the Grand Duke of Tuscany' s gun. 

As the Countess Fugger is expected im- 
mediately, all sorts of arrangements have 
to be made; and as she and I will have to 

be for some time together in Montauto, the 

224 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

various changes in the house are taking up 
a considerable part of the Princess's time. 



December 7. 

To-day, again, we wrote ever so many 
post-cards to "Louisa-maniacs." Of the 
original 2,000 birthday cards, there are still 
650 to be answered, and a good many have 
come since. 

Although she answers every correspond- 
ent without regard to his position or origin, 
she, nevertheless, draws a very sharp dis- 
tinction between aristocratic persons and 
"the mob." She doesn't mean this as bad- 
ly as it sounds. Some years ago they were 
very much offended with the Princess 
George in Dresden, because one day, out 
driving, she was said to have exclaimed: 
"What beautiful children the mob has!" 
In the same way the Princess says: "It's 
amongst the mob that my greatest admir- 
ers and friends are. The mob loves me 
15 225 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

very much." She always speaks of the 
iQwer classes in this way, but she only 
means it as a contrast to the aristocracy. 

On this subject one can only quote Prince 
Orloffsky: "It's our way" — ^'^Chacun a son 

gomr 



December 8. 

The Princess had an appointment this 
afternoon with Signor Toselli. She had in- 
vited him for half-past two, and he was to 
play to her for an hour. She was tremen- 
dously excited, and kept rubbing her hands 
in anticipation of the artistic pleasure — a 
habit of hers. 

But three o'clock came, and Toselli had 
not yet arrived. The Princess, who was do- 
ing the post-cards with me, got quite fever- 
ish, talked about impertinence — "What 
could the young puppy be thinking of.?" 
She called Gioconda, and told her that 

if Signor Toselli was not here by ten min- 
226 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

utes past three at the latest, she was 
to say when he did come, ^' Altezza" (as 
the Itahan servants call her) "is not at 
home." 

Gioconda reappeared shortly afterwards 
and announced "Signor Toselli." 

The Princess instantly hurried down to 
the dining-room, where the piano is, and 
asked me to come with her. When I had 
been introduced, [I took my place in the 
background, on one of the divans against 
the wall, while the Princess sat down be- 
side Toselli at the piano. He did occasion- 
ally run over the keys, but the " hour's play- 
ing" chiefly consisted of a most animated 
conversation in Italian between him and 
the Princess, from a little after three o'clock 
in the afternoon until seven o'clock in the 
evening! They quite forgot me. 

When five o'clock struck, I began to feel 
tired of doing "gooseberry" by the wall, so 
I went into the nursery to have tea with 

Monica. At half-past six, I sent the lamps 

227 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

down. He went at about seven, and the 
Princess told me radiantly what a delightful 
talk she had had with him. He had told 
her all sorts of interesting things about 
false friends — ^Fraulein Muth and others. 



228 



CHAPTER XIV 

December 9. 

The Princess said to me tnis morning, as 
we were drinking our coffee, "To-day, 
alas ! is a very sad anniversary for me. Just 
imagine, my Ernie's tenth birthday, and 
it's exactly four years this very day since 
I left Dresden." 

Soon afterwards I heard her whistling 
merrily, and couldn't see the smallest trace 
of melancholy about her for all the rest 
of the day. 

This afternoon she was going to the 

Verdi Theatre to see Berlioz's Damnation 

of Faust, and she invited me to accompany 

her. She spent the time beforehand in 

paying her return-visit to Toselli — not to 

him alone, of course, but to his parents, 

with whom he lives. So we pulled up 
229 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

before their house, and ToselH was ready 
waiting for us; he opened the door, kissed 
the Princess's hand, and helped her out. 
She then told the chauffeur to go on to 
Miss Zimmern's, and ask the cook to send 
down the tickets; then he was to take me 
to the Baptisteria, so that, before my 
departure, I might see that interesting 
building — a miniature edition of the Duo- 
mo. In about half-an-hour we were to 
come back for the Princess. So we did, 
but we had to wait nearly an hour before 
she appeared, accompanied by Toselli, 
who took leave of her with another kiss on 
her hand, while she said, *'A domanir' 
(Till to-morrow, then!) 

When we arrived at the theatre, the 
performance had of course long since be- 
gun. One doesn't expect much, as a rule, 
from a Sunday afternoon opera, but it 
was more interesting than I had thought 
likely, though I was not mistaken in my 

idea that the theatre and the audience 
230 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

would prove far from first class. The 
orchestra, however, was very good, though 
the conductor afforded us no little amuse- 
ment. He coquetted with the audience in 
the most fantastic way — ^took seductive 
poses, and generally made an exhibition of 
himself, without in the least affecting the 
ensemble of the players, who are excel- 
lently trained. At the end of each act he 
hastily disappeared, to come before the 
curtain hand-in-hand with the singers, and 
share their applause with them. The opera 
got more and more grotesque with every 
act. The drinkers in Auerbach's cellar 
wore the most amazing dresses; it was 
like a costume-exhibition, in which Hun- 
garians and Slowaken preponderated. The 
scenery, which was very well painted, 
shook so ominously that one's illusions 
shook with it! But the occupants of the 
cheaper places seemed to be enchanted 
with everything; loud "encores" demanded 

the repetition of almost a whole scene 
231 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

sometimes, and this made the performance 
seem dreadfully long. 

The greatest enthusiasm was caused by 
the Hades-scene, in which a crowd of 
hideous devils appear, armed with pikes 
and pitchforks, and sing a chorus. This 
was wildly encored, and had to be re- 
peated. Such concessions to the public — 
incredible to us in Germany — are quite 
usual in Italy; indeed, the singers would 
be considered almost failures if they did 
not take place. But the uproar was worst 
of all after the very feeble dancing-scenes, 
which no suburban theatre in Germany 
would venture to present to its patrons. 
I have never seen anything uglier or more 
ungraceful than the antics of these ballet- 
girls, who were otherwise pretty enough. 
Evidently they have no notion that dancing 
is an art. Nevertheless, they were clapped 
and cheered and called before the curtain; 
and the excitement rose to positive frenzy 

when some of the dancing elves went up 
232 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

on wires, and the skies were illuminated 
with coloured lights. 

By this time it was seven o'clock, and 
only two acts had been got through. We 
had had more than enough, and left before 
the beginning of the third act. I must 
confess that the visit to the opera was a 
bitter disillusion to me. In the country 
of the bel canto, the fatherland of Rossini 
and Verdi, I had looked for something 
very different from this music, this per- 
formance, this ballet! To think of the 
Dresden opera by comparison! 



December 10, 

This morning, when Moni and I were 

taking our w^alk, we met some Germans 

— Royal Saxons, indeed, as I could tell 

by their dialect. They admired the child, 

whose beauty strikes all observers, and 

were constrained to inquire of me — w^hom 

they recognized as a country-woman — 
233 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

who she was. I answered, not without 
pride in the announcement, that she was 
the little Princess Anna Monica Pia of 
Saxony. 

There was no end then to the admiration 
and the *'Oh's!" and "Well, fancy's!" 
and I was obliged to take leave very 
hurriedly, or else Moni would have been 
lynched in the Florentine highways out of 
pure love! 

We told the Princess of the incident, 
and she was delighted, but couldn't help, 
all the same, making great fun of it. She 
loves to crack a joke, and isn't particular 
about its quality; and yet she has no real 
sense of humour at all. She knows Wil- 
helm Busch, for instance, but very super- 
ficially, and she could never enjoy him as 
he ought to be enjoyed. 

I tried to interest her in "Rideamus," 

too, but I soon discovered that she is 

quite incapable of appreciating him. She 

scarcely ever reads, to the great grief of 
234 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Miss Zimmern, who would dearly love to 
instil into her a love for good literature. 

Lately she gave me Zola's Rome to read 
— in the original French, too. After that 
we often talked of Rome and Roman 
things, and the Princess had an idea of 
going there with me, for she doesn't know 
it at all. She was so keen about it that 
anyone might have thought we were going 
to start the very next day; but she has 
never said a word about it since. 



December 11 . 

Miss Zimmern is all right again, and 
asked me to tea this afternoon. The 
Princess took me down in the automobile, 
and fetched me away again. 

Miss Zimmern was talking again about 
the Princess's *' wonderful plan," and won- 
dering what it could be. I told her what 
I knew about it, and said I thought the 

"plan" consisted in what she had written 
235 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

to the Court. But Miss Zimmern doesn't 
believe that that has anything to do with 
it. . . . 

Well, one can't escape from excitements 
here! Now it's this terrible waiting for 
the answer from Dresden, which may come 
any day. I can't understand how the 
Court can treat this affair in such dilatory 
fashion. I was only engaged for four 
weeks, and those four weeks are gone by. 
Surely, it would be only courteous to 
communicate with me punctually, to say 
whether I was to stay on after my time 
was up, and when I was to expect my 
definite dismissal. As it is, I am simply 
in the clouds. I have written in this sense 
to the Chancery Ofiice (Kdmmereiamt) , 
and said that, in default of instructions, 
I intended to leave in time to spend Christ- 
mas in Germany.* And upon this I am 

* As a matter of fact, they had written. The letter was dis- 
patched on December 1, and contained fifty marks salary for the 
month, with the information that no further communication 
about the departure of the little princess had been received, and 
236 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

resolved, and have already settled it with 
the Princess. 

I leave here on Wednesday the 19th, 
in the evening, reach Milan next morning, 
and then go by Como and the Saint Goth- 
ard Tunnel to Ziirich or Lucerne; stay 
there a night, and go on next day. . . . 
There is no further talk of the Countess 
Fugger coming with me; she only arrives 
here in the afternoon of the 19th, so as to 
spend Christmas with the Princess. 



December 12. 

Last night we had burglars, and the 
whole house is in a state of desperate 
excitement. I awoke very early, and saw 
the Princess, already in her fencing-dress, 
with a cloak flung over it, talking eagerly 

adding that I might expect immediate instructions. I did not 
receive the letter, because the Office had sent it to an old address, 
and, curiously enough, had used English for the superscription! 
In uneducated Italy it is no wonder that the Post Office puzzled 
over the address for months, so that I only got the letter in 
Dresden at the end of March, 1907. 
237 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

under my window with Haubold and some 
other servants. 

I quickly learnt that the thieves had 
been in the garage and the chapel, and had 
been very successful in the former, where 
they had got hold of four pneumatic tyres 
and a woollen rug. Some valuable tools 
are also missing from the tool-chest. 
Luckily, Monica's marten-rug, which had 
been left in the closed coupe, escaped 
them. 

The Princess says the loss is about 
1,200 lire; and, as if that was not enough 
they did some damage in the chapel too. 
A heavy sandstone pillar, which formed 
the frame of the door, has been broken, 
and is lying on the ground; and the in- 
terior of the chapel is in an indescribable 
state of disorder. The rascals even rav- 
aged the altar, but found nothing worth tak- 
ing either there or anywhere else. Some 
valueless candlesticks they entirely ignored. 

Of course the police were instantly in- 

238 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

formed of the burglary, and a few hours 
later some sergeants appeared to inves- 
tigate the damage and take informations. 
And so the matter rests for the present. 
There is not a trace of the miscreants, nor 
does there appear to be any chance of 
catching them. 

In spite of the loss she has suffered, 
the Princess is as cheerful as ever, and 
only pities the chauffeur for the fright and 
worry he must have had! She seems — 
and it's quite incomprehensible to me — 
to be quite sure of getting back her pre- 
cious pneumatic tyres. She is naive enough 
to believe that the thieves will never be 
able to sell them in Florence without 
betraying themselves. The chauffeur re- 
marks, "Then they'll sell them in Bologna!" 

Workmen have already arrived to repair 

the damage in the chapel. The thieves 

had a try at the house-door, too; and 

one consequence is that, by my special 

request, the doors of my room have been 
239 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

seen to, and one of the missing bolts re- 
placed. Although I'm not timid by nature, 
I cannot help feeling uncomfortable at 
the thought that I am the only living soul 
who sleeps upon the ground-floor. In 
spite of the strongly barred windows, I 
don't feel safe in the huge room; and I 
am particularly uneasy about those silly 
doors in the tapestry, which any moderately 
strong man could easily break open. 

A further consequence of the burglary is 
that the Princess has bought herself a 
revolver, and is now practising diligently 
under the superintendence of the chauf- 
feur. 

Her extraordinary behaviour gives me 

the extraordinary idea that the burglary 

is not quite genuine! But I rack my 

brains in vain to discover her motive. 

She can't possibly want to frighten me 

away, for she knows perfectly well that I 

am going in any case. All the same, I 

can't get rid of the idea that there's some 
240 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

connection between her "wonderful idea'* 
and this wonderful burglary! 



December 13. 

Whether the burglary w^as genuine or 
not (and I'm by no means sure yet), it 
has, at all events, made an impression 
upon the inhabitants of Montauto. Al- 
though they don't admit it to one another, 
they have all grown timid and very much 
more cautious. Some of them insist that 
they have seen mysterious-looking men 
slinking along by the walls in the dark. 
Even the chauffeur, who is otherwise a 
sensible fellow, won't stir a step now with- 
out a revolver, and maintains that he has 
often noticed a suspicious-looking indi- 
vidual following the automobile in the 
evenings. 

Altogether, such a state of "nerves" 

has been created that we are all inclined 

to make mountains out of molehills. I 
i6 241 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

myself was desperately frightened to-day. 
I was sitting before the fire reading, when 
I heard a rustling noise in a dark corner 
of the room. However, I took heart of 
grace, and held a candle behind the toilet- 
table to the corner whence the rustling 
came, and found — a mouse-hole, and a 
little mouse hurrying into it. That was 
the terrible explanation! Now I under- 
stand Bucki's preference for my room. . . . 
The Princess behaves as if nothing what- 
ever had happened, but diligently prac- 
tises her revolver-shooting all the same — 
in rivalry with the chauffeur now' 



December 14. 

Even though my decision is made, and 
the very day of my departure settled, I 
still await with keen suspense the letter 
from Dresden. This uncertainty is fright- 
ful. . . . The ghost stories of the Villa 

Montauto go gaily on. Rosina declares 

242 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

she saw a man without a head wandering 
about the house one night! Even Hau- 
bold beUeves her, and the other Itahans 
"go about with trembling knees," they 
say. 

The Princess went to Miss Zimmern's 
to-day, and when she came back, pro- 
fessed a deep interest in the blood-and- 
thunder stories of the domestics. She ap- 
pears to Hke having her nerves \ipset. 



December 15. 

Again a magnificent sunny morning, so 

the Princess arranged to meet Monica and 

me on the Piazza Trinita after our morning 

walk. She wants to help me in choosing 

some of the delicate, costly leather-work 

for which Florence is famous; and also 

to buy some sweetmeats for my daughters 

on her own account, which I am to present 

them with in her name. She got them 

two boxes of her favourite Scorza — a kind 
243 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

of chocolate with burnt almonds. We 
met Miss Zimmern while we were shopping, 
and drove back to Montauto about half- 
past one. We were in the highest good 
humour, enjoying the rare beauty of the 
day — and had forgotten all about ghosts 
and burglars. 

In her gay mood the Princess, when 
we returned, inscribed a visiting-card for 
each of my daughters, to g© with the choco- 
lates. I had told her that one of them 
had a very good appetite. Remember- 
ing this, she asked, "Which is the one 
with the appetite.?" and wrote on the card 
for that one this romantic superscription: 
"Follow a good example, and eat up all 
your sweets at once!" By the "good 
example" she meant herself. 

Even Moni knows that Frau Kremer is 

soon going home. Out driving to-day, 

she would not sit beside her mamma, but 

beside me, and nestled up so close and 

warm and was so sweet and dear, that I 
244 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

shall always look back to tlie moment 
with pleasant emotion. She was looking 
particularly lovely, too — ^like a real little 
Princess — in her white silk cloak, her 
picturesque white felt hat, her costly er- 
mine muff, and the long white stockings 
and white rough-leather boots on her 
dainty legs. Many an admiring glance 
was cast at the exquisite little creature, 
as she nestled in my arms. But ah! — 
the poor baby! That dirty, ragged street- 
child there, holding to her mother's hand, 
and envying Moni, was happier than she 
— the street-child who would joyfully wel- 
come her father later on, as he returned 
for the mid-day rest! . . . These troubled 
thoughts fell like a shadow over our good 
hour, and did not leave me for the rest 
of the day. 



245 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 



December 16. 

My last Sunday at Montauto. To-day 
the long-expected communication from 
Dresden came at last — a thick, closely- 
written letter for me, and a similar one 
for the Princess. We each sought the 
solitude of our chambers, to read the 
weighty documents with due solemnity. 
The reason of the thickness of my packet 
was that the contract referring to my 
permanent engagement was enclosed. It 
is just as I foresaw — His Majesty the 
King has granted the Countess Monti- 
gnoso's request to keep the little Princess 
with her until April 1, and I myself, by 
her express desire, am to stay in Florence 
till then. The accompanying contract con- 
tained the conditions for my further en- 
gagement. They are not what I desired, 
but I might perhaps have reconsidered 

them. 

246 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Only somehow I have the feeling that 
the letter is a kind of warning to me to 
be cautious. They tell me that no decision 
has been made about the further future 
of the little Princess, but that it is probable 
that after her arrival in Dresden she will, 
sooner or later, be brought up with the 
other Royal children. And I must also 
reckon with the fact that in Spring there 
will probably be a further postponement 
of her departure. . . . Even though these 
remarks only represent an unofficial opin- 
ion, they prophesy the extremely prob- 
able. . . . On the whole, the letter con- 
firms me in my resolution only to accept 
the position of governess to the little 
Princess if she goes at once to Germany; 
and I have decided to write in this sense. 

I was still sitting by the fire with the 
papers in my hand, when the Princess 
came in with her letter. She waved it at 
me from the doorway, exclaiming in joy- 
ful excitement that her chief demand had 
247 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

been acceded to— she was to keep Moni 
till the spring. I then read the typewritten 
letter, which told her of His Majesty's 
decision, and which went on to declare 
that all further suggestions were to be 
considered answered by the Florence com- 
pact of 1905. For this reason the recep- 
tion of the Countess Fugger as the confi- 
dential agent of the Countess Montignoso 
was held to be superfluous, and was 
refused. 

But all that seems to be a matter of 
perfect indifference to the Princess at this 
moment, for she is in such glee at her 
great success in being allowed to keep 
the child. She then asked me about the 
contents of my letter, and her first word 
was: "You mustn't accept those condi- 
tions. They're quite too bad." 

I had to suppress a smile at the re- 
membrance of her sacred promises to me 
a little time ago, to make such brilliant 

arrangements for me at Court! If she had 

248 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

really meant what she said, I dare say it 
would be easy enough for her to keep her 
word now. But I made no remark what- 
ever about it, for by this time I know well 
enough what to think of the Princess's 
assurances, and am, moreover, aware that 
my further stay in Florence has ceased to 
be of any service to her. She must have 
guessed my thoughts, for she began again 
to assure me "how much she liked me, 
how Moni loved me, and how she wouldn't 
entrust her child to anyone but me — but 
I had been quite right, and that was only 
feasible in Germany, or, rather, in Dres- 
den. ..." As she had just seen it written 
down in black and white in my letter 
from the Court that after Monica went to 
Dresden she was to be brought up with 
the rest of the Royal children (which 
would, of course, make my presence super- 
fluous), she was quite safe in harping on 
that string. At any rate, I told her again 

that I intended to leave on December 19, 

249 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

and that shortly before my departure I 
should write to Dresden and say so. 

She then devoted herself to arranging 
my best way of going, and promised me 
that she would see about my ticket at 
Cook's next morning. 

Sunday afternoon went by, as usual, 
quite quietly. At five o'clock I had tea 
with Monica, and then the Princess, who 
had returned from a short visit in the town, 
said that she would like to write some 
more post-cards with me. Awaiting her 
summons, I sat with Monica, who was 
eagerly painting, and helped her with it. 
Haubold was with us, busy with some 
needlework, but disappeared from time to 
time into the next room. 

I waited on, expecting a summons, but 
to-day the Princess seemed able to get on 
by herself. The telephone sounded in- 
cessantly; in Italy it seems never to cease, 
Sundays and week-days, day and night. 

And Hedwig was forever disappearing 
250 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

into the next room. The atmosphere was 
pervaded with restlessness to such an 
extent that even I was only able to follow 
Moni's painting with very divided atten- 
tion. I noticed that Haubold wandered 
about the room in ever-increasing excite- 
ment, inspecting the windows and doors, 
and sighing deeply from time to time. 

I was just going to ask her for an ex- 
planation of her remarkable behaviour 
when she surprised me with the still more 
remarkable question, "Whether I could 
sleep with a light in my room.^" 

I inquired the reason of this totally 
irrelevant curiosity, and she said that they 
were afraid of burglars again, and that by 
the Princess's orders they were taking 
every possible precaution, and were to 
keep lamps burning all night. 

The Princess had been advised by her 

friends, and even by the police, to put her 

jewellery and silver in some safe place, for 

a whole crew of thieves and burglars had 
251 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

an eye upon tliem. The police had been 
informed that the gang was lurking in the 
vicinity of Montauto, and that there was 
no doubt whatever that they had designs 
upon our house. 

A truly wonderful tale! If the police 
know the gang which is meditating an 
attack upon Villa Montauto, why do they 
not arrest them? or at any rate arrange a 
surprise? or at least keep a strict watch 
on the villa? However, I went with Moni 
to her mother, who confirmed all Haubold's 
statements, rushed to the telephone every 
minute, sometimes to answer it, some- 
times to send messages herself; but, all 
the same, appeared to me to be perfectly 
easy in her mind. She met all my ob- 
jections with general remarks, such as that 
it was very disagreeable for a lonely woman 
in Italy to live so far away from the town, 
especially when she had so little confidence 
in her Italian servants that she felt sure 

they would betray their mistress for two- 

252 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

pence. The only thing to do in such 
circumstances was to protect oneself. . . . 
One wonders why, in that case, the Prin- 
cess selected Montauto, which is by far the 
most remote and lonely of the villas on 
Bellosguardo ! 

All this time the telephone never ceased 
ringing. In Italian, English, and French, 
the Princess says she is implored by her 
friends to be cautious, and is advised to 
have some carahinieri posted round the 
house that night. To judge by the amount 
of ringing-up, half Florence must be aware 
that Villa Montauto is to be "burgled" 
to-night! Even Miss Zimmern has tele- 
phoned repeatedly, saying she has heard 
— ^from whom the Princess does not say — 
that a burglary is in preparation! Her 
Imperial Highness declares that she will 
do without the police, and much prefers 
to look after herself, for it often happens 
that, instead of being a protection, they 

are actually in league with the thieves. . . . 
253 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

I must confess that all these disclosures 
only confirm my secret belief; I am pos- 
sessed anew by the idea of the Princess's 
"wonderfully clever plan," though I can't 
quite discover the connection. Perhaps 
she wants to disgust me so utterly with 
Montauto at this last moment that 1 shall 
never again be able to contemplate the 
idea of going there to kidnap a Princess 
Pi a Monica! 

Chiefly to satisfy Miss Zimmern, who 
again rang her up — evidently the Princess 
has succeeded in thoroughly alarming her 
— it was decided to put the jewels at least 
in some safe place. They are to be taken 
this evening to Miss Zimmern, and to- 
morrow deposited at her bank. In the 
meantime all the windows and doors were 
carefully bolted by the servants. The im- 
mense mattress on the Princess's bed was 
lifted, and the big chest of silver hidden 
underneath it. 

We dined later than usual, but Moni 
254 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

was put to bed at her customary hour. 
I felt rather reluctant to go down to my 
isolated quarters, and stayed up in the 
nursery as long as I could. About half- 
past nine, the Princess drove into town in 
the automobile to take her jewels to Miss 
Zimmern. As she passed through the nur- 
sery, she showed me her big silk bag; she 
had hidden the jewels in it, and then 
fastened it round her waist under her 
white tea-gown. Loaded revolver in hand, 
she got into the car, and took her treas- 
ures away — to safety! 

Is there method in her madness ? I 
stayed some time upstairs; Haubold also 
was unwilling to go to bed, and said she 
intended to sit up all night with her lamp 
burning. But in the end my fatigue 
vanquished my fears, and so I went down- 
stairs, and when I had made sure that 
my windows and doors were all right, I 
betook myself to bed. I had just put out 

the lamp when I heard the Princess re- 
255 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

turning. For some time afterwards I heard 
her moving about in her room, then all 
was still, and I slept soundly and peace- 
fully till morning. 



256 



CHAPTER XV 

^December 17. 

When I opened the shutters, the glorious 

morning sunshine streamed into the room 

and almost blinded me. It was a lovely 

day, with a cloudless blue sky. The bright 

beams seemed to chase away all the terrors 

of the night. Montauto lay so peacefully 

basking in the warmth and light that it 

was impossible to believe in lurking thieves 

and robbers. I couldn't help smiling at 

the remembrance of my fears. Have we 

all got hysteria.^ It seems to me merely 

some monstrous piece of absurdity, but I 

am not yet sure of my ground. . . . Well, 

to-day is the last that I can enjoy with 

Moni out of doors. To-morrow I shall 

have to begin my packing, and the day 

after — it's "home, sweet home!" 
17 257 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Of course I must write my letter to the 
Court first. Is that what makes the Prin- 
cess suspect me — as I think she does — 
of playing fast and loose with her? I 
suppose there's some excuse for her, for 
I explained quite clearly weeks ago that 
nothing would make me stay in Montauto 
when my time was up. Does she regard 
that as a mere feint on my part.^ Per- 
haps she thinks that I only said it to gain 
time, by such a pretence, to study her 
more closely.^ Certainly the fact that I 
haven't yet written to the Court to say 
"I am going," when the day of my de- 
parture has been long decided on, may 
well seem to her inexplicable. . . . But 
can it possibly be only because she wants 
to drive me away that she has got up these 
burglary and ghost-stories .^^ I am not 
quite clear about that. But I should 
think that after she has bought me my 
ticket at Cook's to-day, and so may really 

feel quite certain that I mean to go, she 

258 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

will scarcely go in for another of these ridic- 
ulous exhibitions! . . . During the after- 
noon she gave me my little ticket-book and 
a sort of itinerary of my journey, which 
she had compiled from the guide-book. 
According to this, I leave Florence the 
day after to-morrow% at 5.50 a.m., by 
which early start I reach Lucerne or Basle 
the same evening, and stay there the 
night. The Princess strongly advises this 
way of going, and promises to drive me 
to the station herself for the early train. 

But amazing to relate — with the twilight 
recommenced the ghost-stories! It's as if 
night-fall drove all the dwellers in Mont- 
auto crazy. Cook Rosina brought forth 
grisly tales of nightly inroads upon the 
remote villa where her former master 
and mistress lived, when it actually came 
to pitched battles between the burglars 
and the police, in which five of the latter 
were fatally injured. And the maids, 

Severina and Gioconda, now declare that 

259 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

the night before, they heard all sorts of 
suspicious sounds — a long, long conversa- 
tion carried on beneath their window. . . 
(I thought of my little mouse!) They are 
already trembling at the thought of the 
night. It is remarkable how this terror, 
which entirely disappears by daylight, 
seems to stalk from every corner as soon 
as darkness falls. Haubold especially — 
who is highly hysterical at any time — now 
puts no limit to her wild and fantastic 
imaginings. The story of the headless 
man is a mere trifle to the other things 
she believes. To-day she announced, pale 
with excitement, that she is sure the whole 
villa is undermined. "And this could not 
be the ordinary type of thief, who is after 
wine and jewellery, silver, gold, and such- 
like things." The Princess, she said, was 
of the same opinion, but neither would 
explain their enigmatic hints. Later on, 
I extracted from Haubold the fact that this 

was "something quite out of the common" 
260 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

in the way of a gang of thieves. She 
said "there was to be a night attack on 
Montauto by a hired gang, who were to 
carry off the Princess and have her put 
in a madhouse, while Monica would either 
be killed or shut up in a convent. That 
was the real truth, and the Princess knew 
it as well as she did." 

"But who in Heaven's name is the 
abettor of all these horrors .f^" I asked. 

To that the frantically-excited woman 
gave no answer but an eloquent look and 
a shrug of the shoulders. I easily divined 
her meaning, but it made the notion no 
less incomprehensible to me. " The abettor 
was in the same 'place that the hired gang 
was sent from. ..." , 

About six o'clock, the chauffeur ap- 
peared on foot. He took the automobile 
to the garage to-day by the Princess's 
orders. There were some repairs neces- 
sary, and then the machine is to be cleaned, 

so it will be away some days; and as the 
261 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

chauffeur has nothing to do here in the 
interval, he proposed to escape the ghost- 
stories by going to a variety theatre to-night 
with a colleague. He wanted to ask the 
Princess to permit him to spend the night in 
the town with friends, for he was afraid to 
return all that long way alone : it's at least 
half-an-hour through dark, densely-wooded 
paths. The Princess was informed by tele- 
phone, and gave permission forthwith. And 
so she is depriving us of the one man we 
have to protect us at Montauto! 

She came home rather late, was in the 
best of spirits at difmer-time, and after- 
wards retired to her own rooms, not 
without giving me many messages from 
Miss Zimmern, "who would expect me 
next day." She asked if I had written to 
Dresden yet; but all the fuss and excitement 
of those ridiculous ghost-stories had pre- 
vented me again. However, I'll write early 
to-morrow, before I go to Miss Zimmern. 



262 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

December 18. 

I had fallen asleep, when I was awak- 
ened by a pistol-shot, which sounded quite 
close at hand. I started up, electrified. 
Another shot! How loud it sounded in 
the silent night. "Now I am punished 
for my scepticism; the thieves are really 
real!" I thought. Though I didn't think 
of the headless man and the undermined 
villa, I did remember Rosina's talk about 
the pitched battle. We were attacked! 
Then I heard steps overhead, then the 
telephone-bell, and a distant sound of 
voices. 

My heart stopped beating for a moment, 
then pounded wildly on. Lying motion- 
less with terror, I strained my ears for 
every movement overhead. Ah! — it ran 
through my every nerve^another shot, 
and yet another and another, in the deathly 
stillness of the night. . . . 

For a moment I had the impression 
263 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

that the shots came from the Princess's 
room. What was the meaning of it all? 
My brain was whirling; it is no trifle to 
be awakened by five pistol-shots in the 
dead of night. I couldn't move a limb, 
and I don't know how long I lay there. 
Then I heard steps and voices outside, 
and soon afterwards they approached — 
men's footsteps, echoing on the flags which 
surround the house — men's footsteps and 
men's voices. . . . They came close to 
my window. "It must be the thieves," 
thought I. "The wretches have finished 
their murderous work upstairs, and are 
now coming down to ransack the ground- 
floor." 

I don't want to exaggerate, but I must 
say I was in mortal terror, perhaps not so 
much of any harm they might be going 
to do me, as because I really thought 
my heart would break through my body, 
so fast was it beating. My brow was cold 

and wet with fright, and I could hear noth- 
264 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ing but that heart beating, beating . . . 
and in the end a kind of stupor came over 
me. The footsteps were coming closer, 
closer. I heard doors opening and shut- 
ting; it was they, it was they! They were 
at my very door. . . . Already they had 
passed through the ante-room — the double 
doors — now came knocking, knocking . . . 
louder, louder . . . Then suddenly a fa- 
miliar voice calling me by name — 

*'Do open your door, Frau Kremer — 
it's all over — the thieves are gone!" It 
was the Princess ! I came out of my swoon 
of terror. Again and again she knocked, 
and begged me to open the door, she was 
so anxious and distressed about me! She 
wanted to set my mind at rest — ^the wretches 
were gone, the police were here. I need- 
n't be afraid of lighting the lamp and 
opening the door now! 

At least half-a-dozen matches were 

broken by my quivering hands before one 

was lit, but at last the lamp was alight, 
265 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

and I opened the door. I was shaking 
all over with cold and agitation — I could 
hardly stand upright. Very quickly I got 
back into my warm bed. The door opened 
and let in a group of three female figures, 
the Princess in front in her white night- 
gown, with her revolver in her hand. 
Haubold followed, ghastly pale in lier 
white night-gown. Her hair was in curl- 
papers, and formed a grotesque halo round 
her sallow, haggard face, with its deep 
lines from nose to mouth. Last of all 
came Rosina, clad only in her chemise 
and under-petticoat, and holding a flaring 
smoking oil-lamp, with no shade, high in 
the air, so that it lit up the scene as if with 
torch-light. Truly a most sensational situ- 
ation, as they all approached my bed 
and the Princess — ^frequently interrupted 
by Haubold — began her tale of woe. 

She had been asleep, and was awakened 
about one o'clock by Haubold, crying that 

she must get up: there were robbers in 
266 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

the house. Haubold had been awake since 
twelve, and had heard unearthly sub- 
terranean noises going on for an hour at 
least. (Lying in bed, on the first storey, 
she had heard subterranean noises!) In- 
stantly the Princess had rung up the police, 
and had been "put on" to Dr. Kreyl 
also, and begged him to hurry to the 
police-station and see that help was sent 
at once. Then she had listened for the 
sounds, but could not hear anything from 
her room. Then Haubold had said, 
"you'll hear them plainly enough from 
Tiiy bed." So she had lain down in Hau- 
bold's bed, and had heard, quite distinctly, 
the tapping and forcing of the burglars — 
and yet Haubold' s bed is a degree further 
than her own from the indicated place! 

When she had satisfied her ears she 
rushed at once to the window and fired 
two shots into the darkness outside. She 
then heard the robbers "popping round 

a corner"; but it seemed so long before 
267 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

the police came that she fired three more 
shots from her window. In the mean- 
time, all the Italian servants had awakened 
and had been ridiculously frightened — 
"regular cowards." At last the police 
arrived, but none of the Italians had had 
the pluck to go and open the gate, although 
she had ordered them to do so with her 
revolver in her hand! Finally they all 
went together: Severina, Rosina, Gio- 
conda, Haubold, and herself — still with the 
freshly-loaded revolver — and opened the 
garden-gate. There stood the carabinieri^ 
five in number; they at once patrolled 
every part of the grounds and the stone 
passage round the house (those were the 
footsteps I had heard), but they had 
found nothing! 

While the Princess, desperately excited 
and in a great hurry, told me this story, 
stopping every now and then to pity "her 
poor dear little Kremer, who must have 

been half-dead with fright, cut off from 

268 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

everybody," we heard a man's voice in the 
house. It was Dr. Kreyl, who had come 
up all the long, lonely way at dead of 
night, and without any police protection 
whatever. . . . 

By this time it was two o'clock. With 
many assurances that I could now go to 
sleep again — *' there was nothing more to 
be afraid of" — my nocturnal visitors left 
me. I kept my lamp lighted, and in the 
reaction from all the excitement, I fell 
into a deep, dreamless sleep, from which 
I was again aroused at eight o'clock by 
the Princess herself. I dressed in a great 
hurry. The Princess, in fencing-costume, 
and in the best of humours, with Moni by 
her side, soon appeared at my door. With 
her was Signor Giollini, who, quite oblivi- 
ous of the intrusion, followed her into my 
bedroom! She was telling him of the 
night's adventures, with many digressions 
and the most violent gesticulation. The 

whole thing seems to afford her a heathen- 
269 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

ish satisfaction, and she was soon hopping 
and dancing about my room in her fantas- 
tic dress, chasseeing in high good-humour 
from one corner of the room on to the 
bed, and then "polking" from one side 
to the other, while Monica tried to imitate 
her in her pretty childish fashion. But 
Signor Giollini stood still in the doorway 
with his hands folded upon his stomach, 
so that the point of the rapier was on the 
ground, wagging his body about, and 
turning up his w^atery eyes in frantic ad- 
miration of the enchanting little Princess 
and her '' bellissima Mamma." 

After the terrors of the night, I was not 
yet capable of emulating their merriment, 
and could only envy the Princess that 
elastic nature of hers, for she seemed to 
have entirely forgotten all the agitation 
and excitement of a few hours ago. / 
felt simply shattered, while she w^as pran- 
cing gaily about my room, followed by sweet 

childish laughter, and visibly delighted 

270 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

by the adulation of the absurd old fencing- 
master. 

When I was ready dressed I investigated 
the whole place, and particularly that 
spot where the robbers were supposed to 
have begun operations. The Princess said 
they had tried to force open some of the 
shutters, and had damaged them. I could 
find no sign of damage, nor even any 
footprints in the whole region! 

When we w^ere at our coffee, I asked 
Moni what she had thought was happen- 
ing last night. She appeared to have no 
proper appreciation of the tragedy, for 
all she had noticed was something mon- 
strously funny. 

"When Moni woke up, Mamma was 
lying in bed with Hede!" 

And over that she laughed heartily, 
while the Princess asseverated once more 
that the best place to hear the robbers from 
had — really, really — been Haubold's bed. 



271 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

Well, what does it matter? I shall 
never believe in the tale of last night's 
burglary. The only question is whether 
it was an exhibition of hysteria on the 
part of Haubold, or of the Princess, or of 
both; or whether it really is a part of the 
famous "clever plan," and therefore aimed 
directly at me. I am not going to bother 
my head about it any more, but still less 
do I intend to be any further frightened 
and made a fool of by invented ghost- 
stories and tasteless practical jokes, how- 
ever romantically devised. And so I said 
to the Princess directly after breakfast 
that I hoped she would not be annoyed if 
I altered my original plans, and decided 
to start this evening. 

She seemed very much surprised, and 
begged me urgently to stay until to-morrow 
— this was so very sudden! I said that 
in that case I would, at any rate, crave 
permission to be allowed to spend the 

night at a hotel, for I could not contemplate 

272 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

the idea of passing another in my present 
bedroom. 

In the end the Princess said she was 
prepared to get two detectives whom she 
knows to spend the night at the villa. On 
this condition, I agreed to remain; and 
with that I sat down and — what I ought 
to have done before — wrote to the Court. 

I regretted, I said, that I found myself 
unable to sign the proposed contract, and 
intimated that I did not think it possible 
to carry out successfully any scheme for 
Princess Pia Monica's education — in Mon- 
tauto. -I permitted myself further to 
point out that I had been commissioned 
for only four weeks' service in Italy, and 
that I had had no intention of under- 
taking any further duties in that country; 
but I was prepared, I continued, to under- 
take the education of the Princess in 
Germany later on. 

Then I packed my things. I said good- 
bye by telephone to Miss Zimmern. I 
273 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

gave the Princess my Dresden letter to 
read. She was pleased with its contents, 
sealed it with her own hand, her own 
silver-grey sealing-wax, and the "L" with 
the crown over it, and finally took it to 
the post herself. 

The die is cast. I shall not regret the 
parting from anyone in Montauto, except 
Moni. Shall I ever see the dear little 
creature again ? Shall I, from next Spring, 
be able to take up her education, difficult 
as it is, again.? The child does not yet 
understand what parting means. She 
promises to write to me, to come and see 
me — talks on and on in her sweet childish 
gaiety, and even tries to console me for 
saying good-bye. . . . Late in the even- 
ing I went to sit by her little bed, and only 
tore myself away when she was falling off 
to sleep. 



274 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

December 19. 

Just as I got into bed, I was aroused 
by a loud knocking at my door. It was 
only good Rosina, who told me, in her 
mixture of Italian and French, that I 
might go to sleep — the two detectives had 
just come. . . . My alarm went off 
punctually at four. Before five I was 
ready to start, and went upstairs for my 
coffee. As I passed through the little 
morning-room, a man rose from the sofa 
in the half-darkness, and greeted me with 
a courteous ""Buon giorno, signora!" One 
of the two detectives! The other was 
still lying down in the corridor on a couple 
of chairs, which he had arranged com- 
fortably before the blazing fire. 

The Princess was ready too. With her 
charming "homeliness" she poured out 
my coffee herself. Then we got into the 
carriage, which was ordered for five o'clock. 

The Princess sat beside me in the front 

275 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

seat, and opposite was the lady's maid 
with the hand-luggage. Off we went in 
the pitch-dark morning. ... So I left 
Villa Montauto. For a little while, the 
romantic shadowy outline of the tall guard- 
tower hung over us. The laurel-bushes at 
the side whispered farewell Songs without 
Words. And beside me sat the Countess 
Montignoso, liOuise, Princess of Tuscany, 
and as such Her Imperial Highness, with 
a loaded revolver in her hand; and she 
was giving me her personal armed escort 
to the railway-station! At the Porta Ro- 
mana, IJgo got up on the box. He is the 
commissionaire of an Agency which looks 
after one's luggage and gets one's seat for 
one at the Terminus. It was slill quite 
dark when we got there. We had a little 
time to spare before the train started, so 
the Princess took my arm and walked up 
and down the platform with me. We 
talked of the near future and of Dresden. 

"Well," said she, "you must be con- 
276 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

vinced by this time how unsafe things are 
in this country, and how dangerous it is 
for Moni and me that I should have to 
Hve here in exile. Don't forget to say in 
Dresden how much better it would be if 
they would assign us a castle in Germany. 
It need not be in Saxony exactly, but, 
as I have already suggested, Sybillenort. 
Nothing could happen there, like what 
we've gone through these last few days." 

We talked of various things, and I ad- 
vised her not to stay any longer at Mont- 
auto now that it was so hideously unsafe. 
She promised me that she would look 
round for another house this very day. 

When we said good-bye, she embraced 
me warmly and kissed me twice on each 
cheek; and when I thanked her for her 
hospitality and all her kindness, she an- 
swered : 

"If you want to make up to me for it, 
take the opportunity of occasionally say- 
ing a good word for me in Germany; 
277 



STRUGGLE FOR A ROYAL CHILD 

and as for Moni — if we gain time, we gain 
everything. And then," she repeated, 
"don't on any account forget to say at 
the Court how unsafe it is in Florence, 
and how much better it would be if we 
could all live in Germany, instead of here 
in this constant danger." 

And she said that with the most con- 
vincing gravity! 

Shortly afterwards the bell rang. The 
Princess got on to the footboard, and was 
her most enchanting self for these last few 
moments. Then the train whistled. She 
waved her handkerchief to me once more 
— and so ended this episode in the struggle 
for Anna Monica Pia, Duchess of Saxony. 



THE END 



278 



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HISTORIA AMORIS $1.50 net 

A HISTORY OF LOVE, ANCIENT AND MODERN 

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THE POMPS OF SATAN 

$1.50 net 

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Boston Evening Transcript 

IMPERIAL PURPLE $1.00 net 

"The splendid tragedy of Rome, dazzlingly de- 
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MARY MAGDALEN $1.00 net 

" A story of great strength and almost photographic 
intensity. Boston Transcript 

At all booksellers or sent postpaid bj) the publisher on receipt of price. 

MITCHELL KENNERLEY, Publisher. New York 



2835 MAYFAIR 

BY 

FRANK RICHARDSON 

"the wittiest man in London" 




A daring innovation worked out in a 
way that appeals to the lovers of sen- 
sational fiction. A v^d extravaganza, 
witty and smart. — Brooklyn Eagle 

Audacity and a pretty wit are the most striking features 
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a young man with more pure unadulterated "cheek" than 
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we have come across in the output of Fall books. More 
than this, the reader who is at all interested in style will 
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audacious writer. — New York Press 

Startlingly original, Mr. Richardson's people are dis- 
tinctly individualized. There is much delightful fun- 
making. As pleasant and entertaining a book as has 
appeared for some time. — CkvelaJid Plain Dealer 

Clever in an up-to-date way. — Hartford Times 

A source of exciting bewilderment to the reader. We 
are diverted by the twistings and turnings of his story 
and follow it appreciatively to the end. — N. V. Tribune 

A decidedly unconventional and original novel. 

— Boston Transcript 



MITCHELL KENNERLEY. Publisher. New York 



By SEWELL FORD 

Shorty McCabe 

$1.50 

Illustrated by F. Vaux Wilson 

"Shorty McCabe is a finely drawn charac- 
ter, has a rare insight into human nature, and 
has a flow of witty slang that makes the reader 
almost gasp for breath. A sure cure for the 
blues.' The Springfield Republican 

"Shorty McCabe is a philosopher as well as 
a wit. One of the drollest, most winsome char- 
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The Philadelphia Press 

"The most joyous personage we have met 
with in fiction in a good many days." 

The New York Press 

"There is not a careless line in the book; 
every one carries a smile and pleases with the 
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catches the heart as well." Denver Republican 

"A true American type and of an inextin- 
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At all booksellers or sent postpaid by the publisher on receipt of price. 

MITCHELL KENNERLEY. PubKsher, New York 



THE LITTLE CLASSICS 

Exquisitely printed on antique wove 
paper, gilt top, decorated red cloth, 
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Five Volumes in Box, $2.00 Net 

A SHROPSHIRE LAD By A. E. 

HOUSMAN jiuthoTized Edition 

SISTER BENVENUTA AND THE 
CHRIST CHILD Jin Eighteenth 

Century Legend By VERNON LEE 

THE SONG OF SONGS IVhich is 
SOLOMON'S 

THE EARLY POEMS OF DANTE 

GABRIEL ROSSETTI 

RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM 

Translated by EDWARD FITZGERALD 




NEW YORK 
MITCHELL KENNERLEY 



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